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First Female Mayor of Morocco's Capital Rabat Resigns

A street in Moroccan capital Rabat (File photo/AFP)
A street in Moroccan capital Rabat (File photo/AFP)
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First Female Mayor of Morocco's Capital Rabat Resigns

A street in Moroccan capital Rabat (File photo/AFP)
A street in Moroccan capital Rabat (File photo/AFP)

The mayor of Rabat, the first woman elected to the job, resigned on Wednesday amid criticism of her management of the Moroccan capital, she told AFP.

For months, Asmaa Rhlalou, 54, has been criticized by elected officials and municipal councillors for what they called "catastrophic" and "autocratic" management of the city, local media reported.

"I prefer to prioritize the interests of the city and its citizens in the face of the blockage that Rabat is experiencing," she said.

Rhlalou has sent her letter of resignation to the regional governor.

Some of the criticism of the mayor has centred on her use of municipal funds for recovery efforts in the Marrakesh region hit hard by an earthquake last year.

Rhlalou, a former journalist and a member of the National Rally of Independents party, which governs Morocco, was elected to a six-year term in September 2021.

Two other women, Nabila Rmili and Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, were elected mayors of Casablanca and Marrakesh, respectively, a first in the North African kingdom.

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Arab World

Lebanese Court Releases Rifaat al-Assad’s Granddaughter, her Mother

Syria’s Rifaat al-Assad and his granddaughter Shams Duraid al-Assad. Photo: X
Syria’s Rifaat al-Assad and his granddaughter Shams Duraid al-Assad. Photo: X
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Lebanese Court Releases Rifaat al-Assad’s Granddaughter, her Mother

Syria’s Rifaat al-Assad and his granddaughter Shams Duraid al-Assad. Photo: X
Syria’s Rifaat al-Assad and his granddaughter Shams Duraid al-Assad. Photo: X

Lebanese authorities have released Shams Duraid al-Assad, granddaughter of Syria’s Rifaat al-Assad, and her mother, Rasha Khazem, a week after their arrest at Beirut Airport for using forged passports to try to travel abroad.
A judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Raed Abou Chakra, a deputy prosecutor general in Mount Lebanon, released the pair after the completion of the initial investigations.

They were charged with possessing and using forged passports, and the case was referred to Baabda Criminal Court for trial.
The source said their release followed the end of their pretrial detention period, noting the charge is a misdemeanor. The court may consider the detention sufficient or impose a fine.
Also, they must stay in Lebanon until their trial ends and the sentence is carried out. A judicial source described their legal situation as “difficult and complex.”
The source said that after the court’s ruling, General Security could issue documents allowing them to move freely in Lebanon until a legal way for them to leave is found.
This will remain the case until they obtain new passports, either from Syrian authorities or the Syrian embassy in Beirut. The embassy halted consular services after being linked to the forgery of their previous passports.

Moreover, they admitted after their arrest that they entered Lebanon illegally because their passports had expired. They said they were unprepared for the rapid collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which left them unable to obtain new passports.

A judicial source said the two women can legally return to Damascus to get new passports, as they face no charges in Syria.

“Many families linked to the Assad regime still live in Syria,” the source said, adding that Lebanon will not force them to return unless they choose to.