First female prime minister named in Morocco after winning elections

A lawyer by training, 50-year-old Fatima Zahra El Mansouri has been the mayor of Marrakesh for a number of years Fatima Zahra El Mansouri has been named Morocco's first female prime minister, after her centrist Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won the most seats in last week's parliamentary elections.

As prime minister, El Mansouri (R) now needs to negotiate a coalition with other parties to govern Under Morocco's constitution, the king appoints the head of government from the party that comes first in elections to the House of Representatives.

At a victory press conference, prior to her announcement as prime minister, El Mansouri was asked whether the state would need to make changes to accommodate her in Muslim religious ceremonies attended by the king, including Friday and Eid prayers, where men and women pray in separate sections.