First female prime minister named in Morocco after winning elections

Morocco's first female prime minister, Fatima Zahra El Mansouri, was officially appointed following her party's victory in the recent parliamentary elections. The centrist Authenticity and Modernity Party (Pam) secured the most seats, securing the position over the football chief, Fouzi Lekjaa. El Mansouri, a 50-year-old mayor of Marrakesh, has previously served as a minister in the previous coalition government.

Morocco, a constitutional monarchy, remains under the king's rule, although most power is held by the monarch. Upon being asked about potential adjustments required for her presence in Muslim religious ceremonies, El Mansouri did not directly respond, instead praising her king for being a "biggest advocate for women." El Mansouri is a prominent female politician in Morocco, having studied law at Mohammed V University in Rabat and furthered her education in the US and France.

She has previously held various ministerial positions and was the first woman to serve as mayor of Marrakesh in 2009. Despite her career in politics, El Mansouri has rarely addressed women's rights or gender inequality, a topic that remains controversial in Morocco. The king appoints the prime minister from the party with the most seats in the House of Representatives.

With 97 seats, Pam does not have a majority and will need to form a coalition to meet the 198-seat requirement for an absolute majority in the 395-member parliament. Despite an ongoing political rift with the National Rally of Independents (RNI), which previously led the government, El Mansouri is set to become Morocco's first female prime minister.