Rabat, Sep 30 (V7N)- Morocco has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as its first woman prime minister after King Mohammed VI tasked her with forming a new government.

The royal palace announced the appointment on Tuesday, September 29, following the September 23 parliamentary elections in which El Mansouri’s Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won the largest number of seats.

PAM secured 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives, ahead of the National Rally of Independents (RNI) with 66 seats, Istiqlal with 65 and the Justice and Development Party (PJD) with 54. Morocco’s Interior Ministry confirmed the final results.

Under Morocco’s constitutional system, the king appoints the head of government from the party that wins the most seats in the House of Representatives. As PAM did not secure an outright majority, El Mansouri will need to negotiate with other parties to form a coalition.

El Mansouri, 50, is a lawyer who has served as Morocco’s minister responsible for national planning, urban planning, housing and urban policy. She is also the mayor of Marrakesh.

She will now begin negotiations with potential coalition partners before presenting the proposed government to King Mohammed VI for approval. The PJD, led by former prime minister Abdelilah Benkirane, has said it will remain in opposition.

PAM was founded in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, a close adviser to King Mohammed VI, and has been a major political counterweight to the PJD. The party has generally promoted social modernization and secular-leaning policies.

The new government will also oversee Morocco’s preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which the country will co-host with Spain and Portugal. About $20 billion is planned for infrastructure and other preparations linked to the tournament.

El Mansouri also faces economic challenges, including concerns over inflation, employment and dissatisfaction among young Moroccans. Voter turnout in the September 23 election was 38.02 percent, according to official figures.

El Mansouri’s appointment marks a significant milestone for women in Moroccan politics. Four women served as ministers in the outgoing government, but she is the first woman to become head of government in the kingdom.

END/SMA/AJ