Participation in Election of New President of Inter-Parliamentary Union

<p style="text-align: justify;">Deputy Hayat Bouffarrachen, a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union section, took part on Wednesday, October 21^st, 2020, in the 206^th session of the IPU Governing Council, devoted to electing a new president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union to replace Gabriela Cuevas Barron (Mexico), who concluded her term in office on October 19^th, 2020.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The deputy stated that the meeting, which took place via videoconference on October 21^st and November 1^st-4^th, 2020, was marked by introducing the four candidates (Pakistan, Canada, Portugal, and Uzbekistan) for the presidency of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The election of the new president will take place on Sunday, November 1^st, 2020.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The same meeting, in which participated the Bureau of Women Parliamentarians, the Board of the Forum of Young Parliamentarians, and the chairpersons of the geopolitical groups, witnessed the opening of a fierce debate between the four candidates and the discussion of the right of Africa, Arab countries, and Asia to accessing the presidency of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The member of the IPU section noted that Morocco would vote on the best suitable candidate for the presidency of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, expressing her hope that the new president would put Arab and African issues as a priority in the discussions of the Union, and preserve the acquisitions achieved by women parliamentarians whose vote has become decisive in electing the president.</p>