Reuters reported that King Mohammed VI appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as Morocco’s first woman prime minister and asked her to form a government. The royal palace announced the decision after her Authenticity and Modernity Party finished first in the September 23 parliamentary election. El Mansouri, a lawyer, had served as housing minister and mayor of Marrakech. The report explained that she would negotiate a coalition and submit cabinet appointments for royal approval. Morocco’s king retains extensive authority over foreign policy, defence and other important areas.