| Zuhair Masharqa | |
|---|---|
| زهير مشارقة | |
.jpg) Masharqa in 1971 | |
| Vice President of Syria | |
| In office 11 March 1984 – 21 February 2006Serving 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(2007-04-23) (aged 68–69) Damascus, Syria |
| Resting place | Aleppo |
| Political party | Ba'ath Party |
| Alma mater | Damascus University Aleppo University |
Muhammad Zuhair Masharqa (Arabic: زهير مشارقة; 1938 – 23 April 2007) was a Syrian politician who served as Vice President of Syria from 1984 to 2006.
Early life and education
Masharqa came from a Sunni family. He received a bachelor's degree in education from Damascus University in 1961. He also obtained a degree in law from Aleppo University in 1968.
Career
His first public post was governor of Hama to which he was appointed in 1973. Masharqa became a member of the Baath Party in 1975. Later he became deputy director of the party. Masharqa was appointed to the cabinet in 1978 as Minister of Education and became vice president for Domestic Affairs on 11 March 1984. 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.
Bashar Assad chose to retain him as a vice president up to his retirement in 2006. He was replaced by Farouk Sharaa as vice president.
Personal life
Masharqa was married and had five children.
Death and burial
Masharqa died due to a massive heart attack in Damascus on 23 April 2007. His body was buried in Aleppo.
References
- 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.
- ^ "Former Syrian vice president Masharqa dead". M & C. 25 April 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- ^ "Syria's former vice president Zuhair Masharqa dies". Pravda. 24 April 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- ^ "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.