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
Zuhair Masharqa (March 1971)
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
Alma materDamascus University
Aleppo University

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 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

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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  5. 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.
  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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