Daijiworld Media Network - Rabat
Rabat, Sep 30: Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Zahra El Mansouri as the country’s first woman prime minister, tasking her with forming a new government following the parliamentary elections held on September 23.
The 50-year-old lawyer, who previously served as urban planning minister and mayor of Marrakech, belongs to the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), which emerged as the largest party in the election with 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives.
Under Morocco’s Constitution, the king appoints the head of government from the party that wins the most seats in parliamentary elections. However, PAM fell well short of the 198 seats required for a majority and will therefore need to form a coalition to govern.
El Mansouri, who joined PAM when it was founded in 2008, became one of its leading figures by 2024. She was first elected mayor of Marrakech in 2009 and later returned to the post in 2021. She has also served as a member of parliament and held a ministerial portfolio covering national planning, urban development, housing and urban policy.
Her appointment makes her the second woman to serve as prime minister in the Arab world, after Tunisia’s Najla Bouden, who served from 2021 to 2023.
El Mansouri now faces the task of building a coalition government. PAM has indicated that it is open to working with other parties, while the Justice and Development Party and the Federation of Democratic Left have said they intend to remain in opposition.
The new government will also oversee major preparations and investments linked to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal. It is expected to address issues including inflation, wages, employment and economic opportunities, particularly for young people.
El Mansouri is the daughter of Abderrahmane El Mansouri, a former senior local official in Marrakech and Morocco’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. She has previously faced allegations of a conflict of interest over land transactions in Marrakech, which she denied and described as defamatory, according to reports.
The September 23 election saw PAM secure 97 seats, followed by the National Rally of Independents with 66, Istiqlal with 65 and the Justice and Development Party with 54. Voter turnout was about 38 per cent, according to election results reported by international news agencies.