Bishara Merhej (born 1946) is a Lebanese journalist and politician who held various cabinet posts, including minister of interior. He also served at the Lebanese parliament in the 1990s.
Bishara Merhej | |
|---|---|
| Minister of State for Administrative Reform | |
| In office 7 November 1996 – 4 December 1998 | |
| Prime Minister | Rafik Hariri |
| Minister of State | |
| In office 2 September 1994 – 25 May 1995 | |
| Prime Minister | Rafik Hariri |
| Preceded by | Shahé Barsoumian |
| Minister of Interior | |
| In office 31 October 1992 – 2 September 1994 | |
| Prime Minister | Rafik Hariri |
| Succeeded by | Michel Murr |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Bishara Jamil Merhej 1946 (age 77–78) Beirut, Lebanon |
| Political party | Al Baath Arab Socialist Party (until 1973) |
| Spouse | Wali Grote |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | American University of Beirut |
Early life and education
editMerhej was born in Beirut in 1946.[1] He hails from a Greek Orthodox family.[2] His parents were Jamil Merhej and Salma Matar Rahbani.[3]
Merhej obtained a degree in economics from the American University of Beirut in 1967.[1][3]
Career
editFollowing his graduation Merhej first worked as a teacher.[1] Then he began to work as a journalist[1] and wrote articles for the economy section of Al Anwar.[3] He is cofounder of the Active Arab Front and joined the Al Baath Arab Socialist Party where he served in different capacities until 1973.[1] In 1975 he involved in the establishment of the Assembly of Popular Leagues and Association which supported a united Lebanon and Arab identity of the country.[1]
Merhej was elected to the Parliament in the elections of 1992 and 1996 representing Beirut.[1] At the parliament he was a member of the human rights committee.[2] On 31 October 1992 he was appointed interior minister to the first cabinet of Rafik Hariri who selected him to the post.[4] In a reshuffle Merhej was named state minister on 2 September 1994.[2][4] Merhej was the minister of state for administrative reform in the third cabinet of Hariri between 7 November 1996 and 4 December 1998.[1]
Personal life
editMerhej is married to Wali Grote, a physician, with who he has two daughters.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Bechara Merhej". OMSAR. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- ^ a b c Maurus Reinkowski; Sofia Saadeh (2006). "A Nation Divided. Lebanese Confessionalism". In Haldun Gülalp (ed.). Citizenship and Ethnic Conflict: Challenging the Nation-state. London; New York: Routledge. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-415-36897-1.
- ^ a b c Who's Who in Lebanon (19th ed.). Beirut: Publitec Publications. 2007. p. 238. doi:10.1515/9783110945904.218. ISBN 978-3-598-07734-0.
- ^ a b Ward Vloeberghs (2015). Architecture, Power and Religion in Lebanon. Rafiq Hariri and the politics of sacred space in Beirut. Vol. 114. Leiden; Boston: Brill. pp. 381–382. doi:10.1163/9789004307056_010. ISBN 9789004307056.