Moroccan King appoints Aziz Akhannouch as new Prime Minister

Rabat: Moroccan King Mohammed VI has appointed Aziz Akhannouch, the leader of the liberal National Rally of Independents (RNI), the country's new prime minister, the state-run broadcaster reported on Friday.

Akhannouch will now have a mandate to form a new government. On Wednesday, Morocco held the parliamentary elections, with turnout about 50 percent. The RNI won the largest number of seats - 102 of 395, while the ruling moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (JDP) led by Prime Minister Saad Dine El Otmani suffered a crushing defeat, having received only 13 seats in the parliament.

A day after, the JDP leadership decided to resign, calling the results "illogical" and mentioning the multiple violations during the elections and at different stages of their preparations.