Muhammad Zuhair Masharqa (1938 – 23 April 2007) (Arabic: زهير مشارقة) was a Syrian politician who served as Vice President of Syria from 1984 to 2006.
Zuhair Masharqa | |
|---|---|
| زهير مشارقة | |
.jpg) Zuhair Masharqa (March 1971) | |
| Vice President of Syria | |
| In office 11 March 1984 – 21 February 2006 Serving with Rifaat al-Assad and Abdul Halim Khaddam | |
| President | Hafez Assad Bashar Assad |
| Preceded by | Rifaat al-Assad |
| Succeeded by | Farouk Sharaa |
| Assistant Regional Secretary of the Syrian Regional Branch | |
| In office 7 January 1980 – 20 January 1985 | |
| Regional Secretary | Hafez al-Assad |
| Preceded by | Mohamad Jaber Bajbouj |
| Succeeded by | Sulayman Qaddah |
| Member of the Regional Command of the Syrian Regional Branch | |
| In office 15 April 1975 – 9 June 2005 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1938 Aleppo, Syria |
| Died | 23 April 2007 (aged 68–69) Damascus, Syria |
| Resting place | Aleppo |
| Political party | Ba'ath Party |
| Alma mater | Damascus University Aleppo University |
Early life and education
editMasharqa came from a Sunni family.[1] He received a bachelor's degree in education from Damascus University in 1961.[2] He also obtained a degree in law from Aleppo University in 1968.[2]
Career
editHis first public post was governor of Hama to which he was appointed in 1973.[3] Masharqa became a member of the Baath Party in 1975.[3] Later he became deputy director of the party.[4] Masharqa was appointed to the cabinet in 1978 as Minister of Education and became vice president for Domestic Affairs on 11 March 1984.[4][5] He was the country's longest serving vice president, in office from 1984 to 2006, and was particularly noted for his loyalty to Hafez Assad. After the death of Assad in 2000, a 9-member committee was formed to oversee the transition period, and Masharqa was among its members.[6]
Bashar Assad chose to retain him as a vice president up to his retirement in 2005.[7] He was replaced by Farouk Sharaa as vice president.[2]
Personal life
editMasharqa was married and had five children.[3]
Death and burial
editMasharqa died due to a massive heart attack in Damascus on 23 April 2007.[3] His body was buried in Aleppo.[8]
References
edit- ^ Robert G. Rabil (2006). Syria, The United States, and the War on Terror in the Middle East. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-275-99015-2. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
- ^ a b c "Former Syrian vice president Masharqa dead". M & C. 25 April 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d "Syria's former vice president Zuhair Masharqa dies". Pravda. 24 April 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- ^ a b "Syria Primer" (PDF). Virtual Information Center. 24 April 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
- ^ Zisser, Eyal (May 1998). "Appearance and Reality: Syria's Decisionmaking Structure". MERIA Journal. 2 (2). Archived from the original on 25 July 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
- ^ "Bashar Aims to Consolidate Power in the Short-Term and to Open up Gradually". APS Diplomat News Service. 19 June 2000. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
- ^ Alan George (6 September 2003). Syria: Neither Bread nor Freedom. Zed Books. p. 77. ISBN 978-1-84277-213-3. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- ^ "Syria mourns". KUNA. 25 April 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2013.