Morocco's new government sworn in under first female prime minister

RABAT: King Mohammed VI of Morocco on Friday received members of the country's new cabinet, led by Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, and presided over their appointment ceremony at the Royal Palace here.

State-run Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP) reported that Fatima Ezzahra is the first Moroccan woman to hold the country's top government post.

She heads a new government formed by a four-party coalition comprising her Authenticity and Modernity Party, the Istiqlal Party, the Socialist Union of Popular Forces, and the Party of Progress and Socialism.

The new government includes seven women, including Fatima Ezzahra, compared with six in the previous government led by Aziz Akhannouch.

The new government comprises 32 members, including ministers and ministers-delegate, according to official figures.

Abdelouafi Laftit kept his post as interior minister, alongside Nasser Bourita as foreign minister, Abdellatif Ouahbi as justice minister and Ahmed Toufiq as minister of Islamic affairs and endowments.

The new cabinet also established a Ministry of Artificial Intelligence, Digital Transformation and Administrative Reform, headed by Ahmed Rahhou.

On Monday, the Authenticity and Modernity Party, Istiqlal Party, Socialist Union of Popular Forces and Party of Progress and Socialism announced in a joint statement that they had formed the governing majority following the conclusion of the second round of consultations on forming a government, which began on Sept. 30.

On Sept. 29, King Mohammed VI tasked Fatima Ezzahra with forming a government after her party, the Authenticity and Modernity Party, came first in the Sept. 23 elections with 97 seats.