Rabat - King Hassan of Morocco on Wednesday appointed the opposition leader, Mr Abderrahmane El Youss oufi, as Prime Minister, the first opposition figure to head the government in his reign.
A statement said Mr El Youssoufi of the Socialist Union of People's Forces had "accepted this mission".
Elections in November divided the 325-seat lower house almost equally between three blocs, with the USFP emerging as the biggest single party.