oluwatosin oyeniyi RABAT, Morocco — King Mohammed VI has approved the removal of Madiha Khayr, a minister delegate appointed just two days earlier as part of Morocco’s new government, following a request from Head of Government Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri.
The Royal Cabinet announced on Sunday, October 18, that the king had approved the request in accordance with Article 47 of Morocco’s Constitution. Khayr had been appointed minister delegate responsible for vocational training and skills development on October 16, when the monarch presided over the formation of a new 32-member government.
The Royal Cabinet statement did not provide a detailed reason for the request to terminate her appointment. The decision comes at the start of a new administration following Morocco’s September 23 legislative elections, drawing attention to the composition of the cabinet and the process governing ministerial appointments.
A ministerial appointment reversed
Khayr, a member of the Istiqlal Party, was elected to parliament in the Beni Mellal constituency. On October 8, she was appointed head of the Istiqlal parliamentary group in the House of Representatives following the September elections, according to APAnews.
The subsequent decision to remove her came before the new administration had begun its work in full. Neither the Royal Cabinet announcement nor the available reporting established a specific explanation for why El Mansouri requested the termination of Khayr’s appointment.
Without an official explanation, it would be premature to attribute the decision to a political dispute or other internal disagreement.
A new government faces immediate scrutiny
The removal follows the appointment of Morocco’s new 32-member government, led by El Mansouri, the country’s first woman to serve as head of government. The administration was formed after the September 23 legislative elections, in which the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won the largest number of seats and subsequently formed a governing majority with the Istiqlal Party, the Socialist Union of Popular Forces and the Party of Progress and Socialism.
The new cabinet includes changes in several portfolios while retaining some senior ministers, including those responsible for foreign affairs and the interior. The administration is expected to address domestic priorities such as employment, education and healthcare, while continuing preparations for Morocco’s co-hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Khayr’s removal places an early spotlight on how ministerial appointments are handled under the new administration. However, the decision alone does not establish a wider cabinet dispute or indicate that further changes are planned.
Constitutional authority and political accountability
Article 47 of Morocco’s Constitution governs the appointment of government members by the monarch, based on proposals from the head of government. The Royal Cabinet cited the article in announcing approval of Khayr’s removal.
The episode also highlights the distinction between formal constitutional authority and the political considerations that may shape cabinet formation. The public announcement confirms that the removal was requested by the head of government and approved by the king, but it does not reveal the reasoning behind the request.
Further clarification from the government or the Royal Cabinet would be needed to establish why the appointment was reversed and whether another official will assume responsibility for vocational training and skills development.
For now, the confirmed development is a change to the cabinet shortly after its formation. The next steps to watch are any official explanation of the decision, the arrangements for the vacant portfolio and whether the government announces further changes.
