Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country’s new prime minister, making her the first woman to hold the post. …reports Africa Daily News Desk
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, national coordinator of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), as the country’s new prime minister, the royal palace said.
El Mansouri becomes Morocco’s first female head of government following the PAM’s victory in the parliamentary election held on September 23.
The party won 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives, parliament’s lower house, according to preliminary results released by the Interior Ministry.
Under Morocco’s Constitution, the King appoints the head of government from the political party that secures the largest number of seats in the House of Representatives. The appointed head of government then forms the Cabinet.
The National Rally of Independents finished second with 66 seats, while the Istiqlal Party secured 65 seats, Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit said.
The Justice and Development Party won 54 seats, placing fourth.
The House of Representatives has 395 seats. Of these, 305 are contested through local electoral constituencies, while 90 are allocated exclusively to women through regional lists.
A total of 7,288 candidates representing 28 political groups registered for the election, according to the Interior Ministry. Women accounted for 2,658 candidates, or 36.47 per cent of the total.
Morocco’s parliament is bicameral, comprising the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. The 2026 election determines the membership of the House of Representatives across the country’s 12 regions, while elections for the House of Councillors are scheduled for 2027.
The PAM, National Rally of Independents and Istiqlal Party formed the outgoing government and were among the major parties contesting the election.
Other parties in the contest included the Justice and Development Party, which led coalition governments after the 2011 and 2016 elections, as well as the Socialist Union of Popular Forces, Popular Movement and Party of Progress and Socialism.
El Mansouri’s appointment marks a significant milestone in Morocco’s political history, as she becomes the first woman to serve as head of government.
