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RABAT, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane said here Friday the ruling Justice and Development Party (PJD) is leading in the parliamentary elections.
Benkirane told the press that according to figures coming from his party delegates in the polling stations, PJD is "leading by far" in Friday's elections.
The initial results are expected to come soon.
The voter turnout at Morocco's parliamentary elections stood at around 43 percent, announced the Moroccan interior ministry earlier.
Earlier today, Benkirane said that he would leave politics if his party fails in the parliamentary elections.
"I led the party to win the last legislative elections and led the government for five years. If I lose this time, I would leave partisan life and maybe the political life altogether," the widely popular leader of PJD told journalists after casting his vote.
Morocco's parliamentary elections are seen as a test for the popularity of PJD.
Protests in 2011 led to a new constitution and a parliamentary vote was held later that year, which brought Benkirane's PJD to power.
PJD faces strong competition from secular opposition, especially the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM).
In the local and municipal elections in 2015, PJD lost by a few votes to PAM nationally, but won almost all major cities.
Apart from the PJD-PAM duel, some analysts expect the Istiqlal Party, the oldest party in the country, to do well in this election.
Around 15.7 million Moroccans are registered to vote and over 30 parties are due to take part in the election to win seats in the 395-member Chamber of Representatives, or the lower house of parliament.
Some 4,000 national and international observers have been accredited to monitor the parliamentary elections in Morocco. Enditem
