The Rally of French Muslims (RMF) swept the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) polls, with 43.4 percent of the votes (or 20 of 41 seats) cast on June 8. The Moroccan-backed RMF group ended years of domination by Algerian-backed groups. 4,862 delegates representing 1,039 mosques voted to elect members of the CFCM’s general assembly and regional offices. The system allocates delegates according to the size of mosques, with one delegate for each 100m2. The Union of French Islamic Organizations (UOIF) came second with 30.2 percent of the vote (12 seats). The elections created tensions inside the CFCM between Algerian and Moroccan-affiliated groups. The Paris Grand Mosque, itself Algerian-backed, boycotted the vote, accusing the Moroccan consulate of allocating 50,000 Euros to each of the 25 areas to boost the RMF’s chances of winning the elections. The new general assembly will vote on Sunday June 22 to elect an 11-member executive, which will elect a president. Paris Grand Mosque’s rector Dalil Boubakeur has served for two terms as president. The CFCM was created in 2003 with support of then-Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy as the official representative body of France’s Muslim population.
