Zuhair Masharqa

Muhammad Zuhair Masharqa (1938 – 23 April 2007) (Arabic: زهير مشارقة‎) was a Syrian politician who served as Vice President of Syria from 1984 to 2005.

Zuhair Masharqa
زهير مشارقة
Vice President of Syria
In office
11 March 1984 – 21 February 2005
PresidentHafez Assad
Bashar Assad
Preceded byRifaat al-Assad
Succeeded byFarouk Sharaa
Assistant Regional Secretary
of the Syrian Regional Branch
In office
7 January 1980 – 20 January 1985
Regional SecretaryHafez al-Assad
Preceded byMohamad Jaber Bajbouj
Succeeded bySulayman Qaddah
Member of the Regional Command of the Syrian Regional Branch
In office
15 April 1975 – 9 February 2005
Personal details
Born1938
Aleppo, Syria
Died23 April 2007(2007-04-23) (aged 68–69)
Damascus, Syria
Resting placeAleppo
Political partySyria Regional Branch of the Ba'ath Party

Early life and education

Masharqa 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

His 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 2005, and was particularly noted for his loyalty to Dictator 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]

Dictator 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

Masharqa was married and had five children.[3]

Death and burial

Masharqa died due to a massive heart attack in Damascus on 23 April 2007.[3] His body was buried in Aleppo.[8]

References
  1. 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.
  2. "Former Syrian vice president Masharqa dead". M & C. 25 April 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  3. "Syria's former vice president Zuhair Masharqa dies". Pravda. 24 April 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  4. "Syria Primer" (PDF). Virtual Information Center. 24 April 2003. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  5. Zisser, Eyal (May 1998). "Appearance and Reality: Syria's Decisionmaking Structure". MERIA Journal. 2 (2). Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  6. "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.
  7. Alan George (6 September 2003). Syria: Neither Bread nor Freedom. Zed Books. p. 77. ISBN 978-1-84277-213-3. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  8. "Syria mourns". KUNA. 25 April 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
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