The king of Morocco on Tuesday named Marrakesh mayor Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri the country’s first woman prime minister, the royal cabinet announced, after her party won last week’s parliamentary elections.
“This is a source of pride not only for me but for all Moroccan women. “That is why we will have a programme offering concrete and realistic solutions to citizens’ concerns.
The royal cabinet said King Mohammed VI has now tasked the 50-year-old, who also served as housing minister, with “forming the new government”. Speaking shortly after, El Mansouri said in a televised address her appointment was “truly historic”. “For the first time in our country’s history, a woman is taking on the responsibility of leading the government,” she said. For the new premier, “the work starts today”, she said. “We are fully aware that this period will be significant and marked by high expectations from Moroccans, particularly young people,” El Mansouri said. Its chief, former prime minister Abdelilah Benkirane, hailed a “victory” but ruled out joining a coalition led by the PAM, which he said was “tainted by fraud”, without providing details.
