King Mohammed deplores low number of elected women in local polls

In his speech opening the parliament fall, Morocco's King Mohammed VI deplored the low number of women elected during the local polls held in the country last September 12.

"The number of women serving on local community councils is so low that I wonder: how much longer are we going to resort to legally-condoned positive discrimination to increase women's participation in elected bodies?," he said, pointing out to the 30 women quota in parliament.

The sovereign insisted that "we must open the way for women so that they may participate in all sectors of national life, especially as they have shown their competence, rectitude and dedication whenever they have served public interest." The sovereign added that altering this reality requires far-reaching changes in old mentalities and public perceptions.