RABAT (Reuters) - A Moroccan lawmaker was shot dead in front of his home on Tuesday night in Casablanca in what appeared to be a personal dispute.

Abdellatif Mirdas, 53, member of parliament for the liberal Constitutional Union Party, was shot three times in his car, according to a police statement carried by MAP state news agency.

A 27-year-old man suspected of being linked to the murder was arrested, the statement said. It said he had threatened Mirdas over a “personal dispute of a private nature”.

Mirdas’ party condemned the killing.

Almost five months after elections in October, Morocco is caught in a political deadlock between its Islamist party prime minister and coalition partners over the formation of a new government he will lead.

(This version of the story was refiled to fix dateline to RABAT, no change to text)