The Lebanon Report
Number 3
Fall 1996
Biographical Briefs of the 1996 Deputies by Region
Mount Lebanon
Khalil Abd al-Nour:
69-year-old Greek Catholic from Joun in the Shouf. Brother of former deputy Salem
Abd al-Nour, whose seat he took over. He is a chemical engineer and well-known industrialist.
Head of the Joun municipality from 1963-65. He is among those currently responsible for the return of Christians displaced from the Shouf.
Raji Abou Haydar:
Greek Orthodox from Baskinta in the Metn. He received a degree in law, but did not
practice. Joined the Abella group and is the person involved for its catering activities.
Antoine Andraos:
46-year-old Greek Orthodox born in Beirut. Received a diploma in civil engineering
in 1973 from the St. Joseph University. In 1976, he traveled to France where he became
close to Rafiq al-Hariri and was hired by his Oger company. After 1993, when Mr.
Hariri became prime minister, he headed the Fund for the Displaced.
Wadih Aql:
65-year-old Maronite born in Damour in the qada'
of the Shouf. Received a law degree from St. Joseph University. Entered the customs
service in 1951, before being appointed secretary of the Higher Customs Council in
1964. Until 1978, he was in charge of the agenda of the Council of Ministers, after
which he was appointed head of the Technical Commission of the National Fund for Social
Security. He retired in 1995.
Talal Arslan:
Druze from Aley. Appointed to parliament in 1991, taking over the seat of his father
Emir Majid Arslan, the head of the Yazbaki faction of the Druze. He was minister
of tourism in the Karami government.
Ghassan Ashqar:
Maronite from Deek al-Mahdi in the Metn. A member of the Syrian Social Nationalist
Party and son of Asad al-Ashqar, a former official in the party. He is the brother
of Lebanese actress Nidal al-Ashqar.
Mahmoud Awwad:
50-year-old Shi'a doctor from Almat in the qada'
of Jubayl. He is considered close to the prime minister, Rafiq al-Hariri.
Abdo Bejjani:
65-year-old Maronite from Kahaleh in the qada'
of Aley. Graduated from the law faculty of the St. Joseph University in 1954 while
working at the same time in the customs service. Worked in different senior posts
in the service before being appointed director-general of customs under the Hariri
government. After his retirement in 1995 he was appointed an advisor to the Investment Development
Authority of Lebanon (IDAL). He is considered close to Prime Minister Hariri.
Mansour al-Bone:
46-year-old Maronite businessman and landowner from the Kisirwan. He won the most
votes in the Kisirwan in 1996 and is considered close to the prime minister, Rafiq
al-Hariri.
Nabil Boustany:
Maronite businessman from Debbiyeh in the Shouf. He took care of his business interests
in Monaco before returning to Lebanon in 1992 for the parliamentary elections.
Fares Buwayz:
Maronite from the Kisirwan. Foreign minister in the Solh and Hariri cabinets. Appointed
to parliament in 1991. He is the son of the former deputy Nouhad Buwayz and son-in-law
of President Hrawi.
Pierre Daccash:
68-year-old Maronite from Hadath in the qada'
of Ba'bda. A medical doctor since 1952 and a surgeon since 1958, he was elected a
deputy in 1972 on the list of the National Liberal Party. He boycotted the elections
in 1992.
Jean Ghanim:
Maronite from Ba'bda. A former member of the Kata'ib party, he is close to Elie Hubayqah,
on whose behalf he participated in the Tripartite negotiations in Damascus in 1985.
Antoine Haddad:
59-year-old Greek Catholic doctor born in Ayn al-Safsaf near Bikfayya in the Metn.
Studied at the American University of Beirut before studying medicine at the University
of Lyon, where he received a diploma in public health in 1963. He was a candidate
in the parliamentary elections of 1992, but then withdrew.
Habib Hakim:
69-year-old Maronite from Sin al-Fil. Head of the Sin al-Fil municipality since 1963.
Elected president of the Federation of Metn Municipalities in 1980.
Marwan Hamadeh:
Druze from the Shouf. Minister of health in the Solh and Hariri cabinets. Received
degrees in law and economy from the St. Joseph University. Appointed to Parliament
in 1991, and was subsequently appointed minister of economy and trade in the cabinet
of Omar Karami. He is a close collaborator of the Druze leader Walid Junblat.
Salah al-Haraki:
53-year-old Shi'a born in Bourj al-Barajneh in the southern suburbs of Beirut. He
was educated at Beirut's International College and the American University of Beirut,
where he received a diploma in education. He was employed by UNESCO in the 1960s
before working as a contractor in Saudi Arabia between 1975 and 1982. He is close to the
parliament speaker, Nabih Birri.
Antoine Hitti:
49-year-old Maronite from Aley. Graduated from the faculty of medicine at St. Joseph
University. He is member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.
Sebouh Hovnanian:
48-year-old Armenian Orthodox dentist born in Beirut. Received his diploma in dentistry
from the St. Joseph University. Practiced in Saudi Arabia between 1987 and 1993,
and, until the elections, he continued to shuttle regularly between Lebanon and the
kingdom. Long a member of the Tashnag party, he was appointed its secretary-general in
1996.
Elie Hubayqah:
Maronite from Baskinta. Minister of electricity and water resources in the second
Hariri cabinet. Joined the Kata'ib Party in 1977, he was appointed head of the Lebanese
Forces (LF) intelligence services in 1982. He became head of the LF in 1985. Overthrown by Samir Geagea as LF chief in January 1986, he established a pro-Syrian breakaway
group in Zahleh. Founded al-Wa'd Party in 1989. Appointed to a Beirut seat in parliament
in 1991, he was elected in Ba'bda in 1992.
Walid Junblat:
Druze from the Shouf. Minister for the displaced in the two Hariri cabinets. Appointed
to his father Kamal Junblat's seat in June 1991. The head of the Progressive Socialist
Party, he has been considered the paramount Druze leader since 1977 when his father was assassinated. He is close to the prime minister, Rafiq al-Hariri.
Zahir al-Khatib:
52-year-old Sunni from the Iqlim al-Kharroub. Elected deputy for the Shouf in a by-election
after the death of his father in 1970, and re-elected in 1972 and 1992. He was one
of only two deputies who voted against the May 17 Agreement between Lebanon and Israel in 1982. He has been a leading critic of the Hariri government.
Elias al-Khazen:
70-year-old Maronite deputy and businessman born in Ajaltoun. Elected to parliament
from the Kisirwan in 1964 and 1972. Served as interior minister in Salim al-Hoss's
cabinet of 1990-91.
Rushayd al-Khazen:
Maronite businessman and landowner born in Ghadir near Jounieh. Member of the influential
Khazen family from Ghosta in the Kisirwan, he is the cousin and rival of deputy Elias
al-Khazen. He is president of the Elka contracting firm and is considered close to Prime Minister Hariri.
Nassib Lahoud:
Maronite from Ba'bdat in the Metn district. Appointed to parliament for the Metn in
1991, replacing his relative Fouad Lahoud. An electrical engineer trained in the
U.K., he was appointed ambassador to Washington in 1990. He was considered one of
the leading independent opposition candidates in the 1992 parliament.
Michel al-Murr:
Greek Orthodox politician, engineer, and entrepreneur from Bteghrine in the Metn.
Represented the Metn in parliament in 1968-72. Played an important role on behalf
of Elie Hubayqah in negotiating the Tripartite agreement in 1985. He was deputy prime
minister and interior minister in the second Hariri cabinet, and it is in this capacity
that he organized the 1996 elections.
Emile Naufal:
47-year-old Maronite from Tarshish in the qada'
of Jbeil. He is a businessman and contractor, and has worked primarily in construction.
George Deeb Ni'meh:
Maronite head of the municipality of Dayr al-Qamar in the Shouf. Close to the Chamoun
family, he was instrumental in maintaining the Christian presence in Dayr al-Qamar
in 1983. Known as a partisan of Christian-Druze coexistence.
Basim al-Saba':
45-year-old Shi'a born in Bourj al-Barajneh in the qada'
of Ba'abda. He received a degree in journalism from the Lebanese University and was
a secretary in the Press Syndicate. He worked for the al-Safir
daily, among other publications. Assistant secretary-general of the Union of Arab
Journalists since 1983, he also served on the board of Télé-Liban. He is close to
the prime minister, Rafiq al-Hariri.
Akram Shuhayyib:
Druze from Aley. Trained in history at the Lebanese University and University of Cairo.
Member of the PSP Politburo, he has been a close advisor to PSP leader Walid Junblat
since 1982. Appointed to the Druze parliamentary seat in Beirut in 1991 before being elected in 1992. He was elected parliamentary secretary in the 1992 parliament.
Ayman Shuqayr:
Druze businessman from Arsoun in the qada'
of Ba'abda. Appointed to parliament in 1991. Trained in economics and business administration
in Lebanon and Europe. The son of the late Shawqat Shuqayr, a politician and general
in the Syrian Army, he is close to Walid Junblat.
Nouhad Sou'aid:
64-year-old Maronite from Aqoura in the qada'
of Jbeil. She studied law for one year at the St. Joseph University. A traditional
rival of the former Jbeil deputy, Raymond Eddé, she was a candidate in the elections
in 1968 and 1972. She boycotted in 1992.
Shaker Abou Suleiman:
69-year-old Maronite from Mtayn in the North Metn. He received a degree in law from
the St. Joseph University and worked in the office of Edmond Rabbath before practicing
law independently. He was president of the Maronite League between 1974 and 1990.
Ala'eddine Tirro:
43-year-old Sunni from Barja in the Shouf. Member of the Progressive Socialist Party
of Walid Junblat, he was the party official responsible for the Iqlim al-Kharroub
region.
Camille Ziyadeh:
53-year-old
Maronite lawyer and businessman born in Beirut, but registered in the Kisirwan. He
received degrees in law and political science from the St. Joseph University in Beirut.
He was a director of the Prisunic department store. He was elected parliamentary
secretary in the 1992 parliament.
North Lebanon
Abd al-Rahman Abd al-Rahman:
Alawite from Tripoli. Appointed to a newly established Alawite parliamentary seat
in June 1991. Head of the pro-Syrian Arab Ba'th Party in the north. Elected parliamentary
commissioner in the 1992 parliament.
Musbah al-Ahdab:
32-year-old Sunni from Tripoli. The son of Aouni Ahdab, the owner of a transport company
in Tripoli, he was educated abroad. Until his election he was the French honorary
consul in Tripoli and a sponsor of the French cultural center in the city.
Sayyid Aql:
63-year-old Maronite businessman from Batroun. Represented Batroun in parliament
from 1968 to 1972. He was expelled from the National Bloc for having presented his
candidacy in the 1992 elections.
Wajih al-Ba'rini:
Sunni from Fnaydiq in the Akkar. Appointed to Parliament in June 1991, before being
elected in 1992. Head of the Popular Akkar Grouping.
Khaled Daher:
38-year-old Sunni from Akkar. Received an MA in Arabic literature from the Lebanese
University. He was head of the Islamic Students League in the north and is now responsible
for the Jama'a al-Islamiyya in the Akkar. He is owner and director of the Al-Riyadh school in his home village of Benin.
Estephan al-Douayhi:
Maronite from Zgharta. Appointed to parliament in June 1991. He is the son of the
late deputy Sem'an Douayhi. He was appointed minister of social affairs in the second
Hariri cabinet.
Maurice Fadel:
68-year-old Greek Orthodox businessman from Tripoli. He received a degree in commerce.
He owns the ABC department stores as well as several other commercial institutions.
Isam Fares:
59-year-old Greek Orthodox businessman and philanthropist from the Akkar. He started
his career in the Abella group before becoming the owner of one of the biggest construction
companies in Saudi Arabia. He is the president of the international Wedge group and other companies. His Fares foundation has offered financial aid to thousands
of university students.
Ahmad Fatfat:
43-year-old Sunni doctor born in Sir al-Dinniyeh. The son of a former parliamentarian
from Dinniyeh, he has long been active politically. He was a spokesman for the National
Movement in university and was close to the Palestinian resistance. He subsequently studied medicine in Belgium before returning to Lebanon.
Suleiman Tony Franjiyyeh:
31-year-old Maronite from Zgharta. Appointed to the seat of his father, the late
Tony Franjiyyeh, in June 1991. Grandson of the late President Suleiman Franjiyyeh.
He was appointed minister of state for municipalities and villages in the first Hariri
cabinet.
Fayez Ghosn:
46-year-old Greek Orthodox businessman and journalist born in Kousba. He is the son-in-law
of the former deputy Bakhos Hakim. He took a BA in journalism from the Lebanese University
and an MA in politics from the St. Joseph University.
Nicholas Ghosn:
56-year-old Greek Orthodox from Kousba in the Koura. the son of the deputy Fouad
Ghosn, he received a degree in law from the St. Joseph University.
Boutros Harb:
52-year-old Maronite from Tannourine in the qada'
of Batroun. Received a degree in law from the St. Joseph University in 1965. He was
elected deputy in 1972 and became a member of the Independent Maronite Bloc. He was
appointed a minister several times, most recently in the cabinets of Salim al-Hoss
and Omar Karami.
Ahmad Hbous:
55-year-old Alawite businessman from Tripoli. Received a BA in economics and political
science from the Beirut Arab University. He worked in commerce and as a contractor
in Lebanon and Syria before doing business in the Gulf states, among them Saudi Arabia. He is currently at the head of a number of companies in Canada, the U.S., and Asia
which bottle mineral water.
Fawzi Hubaysh:
59-year-old Maronite from Qubayat in the Akkar. Received degrees in Lebanese and
French law from the St. Joseph University in 1962, and in public administration and
personnel management from the United States and Canada. He participated with other
Arab experts in writing the by-laws of the Arab League in 1979 and 1983. In 1991 he was appointed
director-general of the Central Inspection Commission.
Muhammad Kabbara:
52-year-old Sunni born in Tripoli. He studied law at the Arab University of Beirut.
Ahmad Karami:
52-year-old Sunni from Tripoli. Received his primary and secondary education at Broummana
High School before graduating from the Beirut Arab University with a degree in economics
and political science. Was the director of the Tripoli port. He is the cousin and political rival of the deputy Omar Karami and the head of the National Youth
Party founded by his father Mustapha.
Omar Karami:
Sunni lawyer from Tripoli. Appointed to his brother Rashid Karami's parliamentary
seat in June 1991 before being elected in 1992. Jointly headed the strong electoral
lists in the North in the 1992 and 1996 elections. He is a former prime minister.
Salih Khayr:
50-year-old Sunni lawyer from Minyeh in the North. Educated at Cairo University and
the Arab University of Beirut. He has represented the qada'
of Minyeh-Dinniyeh in parliament since 1972.
Qabalan Issa al-Khoury:
Maronite deputy from Bsharri born in 1918. Landowner and deputy. Elected to Parliament
in 1951, and again as representative of Bsharri in 1957, 1964, and 1968. He is the
oldest deputy in parliament.
Farid Makari:
45-year-old Greek Orthodox engineer from Enfeh in the Koura. Formerly a contractor
in Saudi Arabia. He was appointed minister of information in Prime Minister Hariri's
second cabinet.
Talal Mere'bi:
51-year-old Sunni deputy from Akkar. Elected deputy from the Akkar in 1972. He was
minister of economy and trade, and public health in Salim al-Hoss's government of
1979-80.
Omar Misqawi:
61-year-old Sunni Lawyer born in Tripoli. He received degrees from the University
of Cairo and the Al-Azhar University. He is a former member of both the Superior
Islamic Law (Shari'i) Council and of the Mufti's Consultative Council. He was appointed
minister of state for transport in both of Mr. Hariri's cabinets.
Nayla Mou'awwad:
Maronite originally from Bsharri. Appointed in June 1991 to the seat of her assassinated
husband, the former deputy and president, René Mou'awwad. She also heads the Mou'awwad
Foundation.
Jihad al-Samad:
35-year-old Sunni businessman from Bakh'oun in Dinniyeh. He studied in Paris where
he received a degree in civil engineering and a MS degree in physics. He owns the
Solid construction company which operates in the United Arab Emirates.
Riyad Sarraf:
68-year-old Greek Orthodox surgeon from Akkar. He is the brother of former deputy
Ya'qoub Sarraf who served in parliament from 1943 to 1972. Worked at the Islamic
Hospital in Tripoli, where he remains popular.
Jubran Toq:
A Maronite former deputy born in Coumassi in Ghana. He received a BA in economics
from the American University of Beirut and a Ph.D. from London. He was elected a
deputy in 1972 but boycotted the 1992 elections.
Jean Ubayd:
Maronite from the qada'
of Bsharri. Appointed to parliament in 1991, he won reelection to a newly-created
Maronite seat in Tripoli in 1992 and 1996. He is a former journalist.
Beirut
Adnan Araqji:
59-year-old Sunni businessman and contractor from Beirut. Received a degree from
the University of Oklahoma in 1959. He is president of a trade company bearing his
name as well as of several other companies, including Cable Vision and Stratus, which
works with the Beirut port.
Khatchik Babikian:
Armenian Orthodox lawyer born in 1924. Educated in law at the French law faculty in
Beirut and at London University. He has represented Beirut in parliament since 1957
and was appointed minister several times.
Muhammad Yusif Beydoun:
Shi'a deputy from Beirut. Elected in 1972 from Beirut's second district on the list
of Saëb Salam. Minister of water and electrical resources in Omar Karami's cabinet
of 1991-92. He won re-election in 1992 and 1996 on lists headed by Salim al-Hoss.
Abraham Dedeyan:
55-year-old Armenian Protestant from Beirut. Received a BS in civil engineering from
the American University of Beirut in 1961. He is a member of the Order of Engineers
and Architects of Beirut. He worked in Syria in the early 1960s and in Qatar between
1965 and 1991. He has also worked on construction projects in the United States and
Spain. Since 1993, he has owned the Dedeyan construction company.
Hagop Demerdjian:
54-year-old Armenian Orthodox. Received a BS in civil engineering and a MBA from
the American University of Beirut, where he worked as a researcher and lecturer from
1967 until 1976. He is a member of the board of the Council for Development and Reconstruction. He was appointed minister of economics in the first Hariri government and is
currently the minister of municipal affairs.
Salim Diab:
49-year-old Sunni businessman from Beirut. Received a diploma in administration from
Hagazian college in Beirut. He is a member of several boards of directors including
the Beirut Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is also chairman of the Ansar sporting
club which, with its network of supporters, played a significant role in mobilizing
electoral support for Mr. Hariri's electoral list.
Yeghyieh Djerdjian:
Armenian Orthodox born in 1957. Studied dentistry at Yerevan University. Entered politics
in 1974 as a member of the Hentchag Party. In 1992 he was the first representative
of the party in the Lebanese parliament.
Rafiq al-Hariri:
52-year-old Sunni from Sidon. At twenty-two, he moved to Saudi Arabia where he became
a teacher and then an accountant in a construction company. In the 1970s he established
a sub-contracting firm, and gained the confidence of Crown Prince Fahd when he built the Ta'if Massara Hotel in only six months to host the Islamic Summit. In 1978
he was given Saudi citizenship, and in 1979 he took control of the Oger company,
establishing Oger International. Mr. Hariri now controls a large network of business
interests including banks and real-estate companies. He has been prime minister of Lebanon
since 1993.
Salim al-Hoss:
Sunni from Beirut born in 1929. He received a Ph.D. in economics from the University
of Indiana and was a professor at the American University of Beirut. Appointed prime
minister on several occasions, he headed a rival government to that of General Michel
Aoun in 1988-90. He was elected a deputy from Beirut in 1992.
Baha'eddine Itani:
55-year-old Sunni from Beirut. Graduated with a BA in political science and public
administration from the American University of Beirut. A founding member of the Dar
al-Nadweh cultural club, he is active in cultural and social affairs. He is also
a partner in several economic institutions.
Hagop Jokhadarian:
62-year-old Armenian Catholic lawyer from Beirut. He is member of the Armenian Tashnag
Party, and was an advisor to President Hrawi. Former minister of state for environmental
affairs in the government of Omar Karami. He was a parliamentary commissioner in the 1992 parliament.
Ghassan Matar:
Maronite journalist from Tannourine in the qada'
of Batroun. He is a member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party. A journalist and
writer, he worked for the weekly magazine Al-Kifah al-Arabi
. He was elected a deputy in 1992.
Bishara Merhej:
50-year-old Greek Orthodox born in Beirut. He received a degree in economics from
the American University of Beirut. He was a member of the Command Council of the
National Movement (1975-77) and of the pro-Iraqi Ba'th Arab Socialist Party. He was
head of the Union of Popular Committees as well as member of numerous other organizations.
He was appointed minister of the interior in the first Hariri cabinet before being
made to resign.
Michel Pharaon:
37-year-old Greek Catholic businessman and son of the minister Pierre Pharaon. Received
a degree in economics from St. Joseph University in 1980 before earning an MBA from
the University of Paris in 1981. He heads several boards of directors including the
Mednet insurance company and the Commerce du Levant
magazine. He is the deputy president of the Ruphayil Pharaon and Sons company and
of Pharaon Holding.
Khalid Sa'b:
52-year-old Druze businessman from Beirut. Received a BA in political science from
the American University of Beirut in 1969. He was the chairman of the board of the
Summerland hotel between 1978 and 1993 and is on the board of several companies and
associations, including the Casino du Liban and the National Bank for Industrial Development.
Tammam Salam:
51-year-old Sunni from Beirut. The son of the former prime minister Saëb Salam, he
was educated at the Lycée Français and Maqasid, before going to London. A member
of the board of trustees of the Maqasid between 1978 and 1982, he then took over
the presidency of the educational and social foundation from his father.
Jamil Shammas:
60-year-old Syriac born in Zahleh in the Biqa'. Worked for four years as a journalist.
Became an accountant as of 1958 in an industrial company before becoming, 24 years
later, a full partner in the company. Established the Marblo marble company which
has branches throughout Lebanon and the Arab world. He is a member of the board of both
the Beirut Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Industrialists.
Najah Wakim:
50-year-old Greek Orthodox deputy, born in Barbara in the qada'
of Jubayl. He was educated in law at the Arab University of Beirut. He won a parliamentary
seat as a Nasserist candidate from Beirut's third district in 1972, defeating the
former deputy Nassim Majdalani.
Husayn Yatim:
62-year-old Shi'a born in Kfar Dounin in the South. Received diplomas in history and
education from the Beirut Arab University and a Doctorat d'Etat in history from Cairo
University. He is the former director of the Amiliyyeh schools and established other
schools. He was a close advisor to the parliament speaker, Nabih Birri, on educational
matters.
South Lebanon
Hasan Alawiyyeh:
Shi'a lawyer from Aytaroun in the qada'
of Bint Jubayl. A member of the Amal movement, he was chief of staff of Nabih Birri's
office.
Samir Azar:
57-year-old Maronite lawyer born in Sidon. He was vice-president of the Council of
the South before being elected to parliament in 1992. Studied law at the St. Joseph
University. Considers himself one of the political heirs of the former Chehabist
deputy from Jezzine, Jean Aziz.
Muhammad Abd al-Hamid Beydoun:
Shi'a from Beirut. Former minister of electricity and water resources in Rashid al-Solh's
cabinet of 1992. Appointed to parliament in 1991. He received a doctorate in mathematics
from Lyon University. A member of the Amal movement since 1980, he represented the movement at the 1985 Tripartite talks in Damascus. He was also the head of the
Council of the South.
Nabih Birri:
Shi'a born in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He is originally from Tibnin in the South. He
received a degree in law from the Lebanese University. Leader of the Shi'a Amal movement
since 1980, he was appointed a minister in a number of cabinets. Appointed to parliament in June 1991, he headed winning lists in the south in 1992 and 1996. He was
appointed speaker of parliament in 1992.
Muhammad Fnaysh:
Shi'a from Ma'roub in the qada'
of Tyre. A teacher and member of Hizballah, he was one of the leading figures in
the Islamic resistance in southern Lebanon under the nom de guerre
of Abou Yasser.
As'ad Hardan:
45-year-old Greek Orthodox born in Rashayya al-Fuqhar. Member of the Syrian Social
National Party (SSNP) since 1968. When the party split in 1986, he sided with Issam
Mahayri and the SSNP-Emergency Council. He was the official responsible for defense
and resistance operations in the SSNP. Minister of state in Omar Karami's government of
1991, he was appointed deputy the same year. Elected a deputy in the 1992 parliament.
Bahiyya al-Hariri:
44-year-old Sunni born in Sidon. She is the sister of Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri
and a member of the board of the Hariri Foundation. She received a degree from the
National Teachers Institute in Sidon, and until 1979, she taught in a number of schools in Sidon and the south.
Ayyoub Humayyid:
42-year-old Shi'a from Bayt Lif in the qada'
of Bint Jubayl. A former director-general of the information ministry, he has been
a member of the Amal movement since it was established.
Yassin Jaber:
46-year-old Shi'a from Nabatiyyeh. Educated at the International College in Beirut
and at the American University of Beirut (AUB). Received a degree in business administration
in 1973 from the AUB. He worked in Saudi Arabia, Africa, and Great Britain in construction and trade. He owns several buildings and tourist projects in Beirut. He
was minister of economics in the second Hariri government and is close both to Nabih
Birri and the prime minister.
Suleiman Kan'an:
41-year-old Maronite cardiologist from Jezzine. He was educated at St. Joseph University
and in France. Grandson of Suleiman Kan'an and nephew of Maroun Kan'an, both former
deputies.
Ali Hasan al-Khalil:
32-year-old Shi'a from Khiyam in the qada'
of Marja'youn. Received a diploma in law from the Lebanese University. He was responsible
for the branch of the Amal movement branch in Beirut and is a member of the board
of the Elissar property company.
Ali al-Khalil:
52-year-old Shi'a deputy from Tyre. He received a Ph.D. in political science. Elected
a deputy from Tyre in 1972. Minister of state in 1973 cabinet of Taqieddine al-Solh,
he was also the minister of finance in Omar Karami's government of 1991.
Anwar al-Khalil:
58-year-old Druze born in Lagos, Nigeria. Received a degree in law from the University
of London. Between 1972-74, he was president of the ULCM, the main organization grouping
Lebanese emigrants internationally. He is close to the Progressive Socialist Party. He was a minister of state in Prime Minister Hariri's first cabinet and minister
of state for administrative reform in his second cabinet.
Ali Khrayss:
39-year-old Shi'a from Bourj Rahhal in the qada'
of Tyre. Educated in the public school of Bourj Rahhal. He joined the Amal movement
in 1978, and was appointed head of the movements branch in the south.
Nazih Mansour:
42-year-old Shi'a born in Taybeh in the qada'
of Marja'youn. He was educated at a public school in Taybeh and then at Nabatiyyeh's
Dar Mu'allamin. He received a degree in law and is a lawyer of Hizballah.
Michel Musa:
47-year-old Greek Catholic doctor from Magdousheh. He studied at the University of
Montpellier in France.
Abdallah Qassir:
39-year-old Shi'a from Dayr Qanoun in the qada'
of Tyre. Received a degree in sociology from the Lebanese University. He joined Hizballah
in 1982 and afterwards lectured in the party's cultural institutions.
Muhammad Ra'd:
Shi'a from the south. Founding member of the Hizballah organization in Jb'a in the
Iqlim al-Tuffah region. He is deputy head of Hizballah's Political Council and a
member of the party's supreme Consultative Council. He was one of two Hizballah deputies
elected from the south in 1992.
Mustapha Sa'd:
45-year-old Sunni agricultural engineer born in Sidon. He is the son of the late
Ma'rouf Sa'd, the deputy from Sidon assassinated in 1975. He received his education
in the Soviet Union. Lost his sight in an Israeli assassination attempt in 1985.
He is head of the Popular Nasserite Movement in Sidon.
Nadim Salem:
60-year-old Greek Catholic engineer from Kfar Falous. Son of the late deputy, Nicholas
Salem. Elected deputy for Jezzine in 1972. He was the minister of public works in
the government of Omar Karami.
Ahmad Suwayd:
63-year old Sunni lawyer and writer from Kfar Hamam in the qada'
of Hasbayya. He received degrees in law from the Syrian University and the St. Joseph
University. A former Nasserite, he was a leading figure in the Lebanese Writer's
Union.
Ali Usayran:
Shi'a deputy born in Sidon in 1947. Son and political advisor to the former deputy
and minister, Adil Usayran. He received a BA in political science and economics from
the University of Maryland. He was a minister of state in Prime Minister Hariri's
first cabinet.
Abd al-Latif al-Zayn:
64-year-old Shi'a lawyer born in Kfar Remman. He was educated at the American University
of Beirut and St. Joseph University. He was elected deputy from Nabatiyyeh in 1960,
and reelected in 1964, 1968, and 1972. He was appointed a minister of agriculture
on two occasions.
Biqa'
Mahmoud Abou-Hamdan:
39-year-old Shi'a born in Shtaura. Elected to parliament from the West Biqa'-Rashayya
in 1992. Received a degree in political science from the Lebanese University. He
is a member of the Amal Movement, and the organization's chief official in the Biqa'
where he maintains close ties to the Syrian leadership. He was the minister of housing
and cooperatives in the first Hariri cabinet.
Ibrahim Bayan:
Sunni doctor from Ba'lbak. Close to Hizballah on whose list he was elected in 1992
and again this year.
Muhsin Dalloul:
Shi'a from the Biqa'. Appointed to parliament in June 1991. A prominent member of
the National Movement after the outbreak of the war in 1975, he was once a member
of the Progressive Socialist Party's Command Council. Minister of defense in the
first and second Hariri cabinets.
Faysal Dawud:
Druze from Rashayya. The son of the former deputy, Salim Dawud. Trained in Arabic
literature and founder of the Arab-Lebanese Struggle Movement. Represents a third
pole in the Druze community. Appointed to parliament in 1991 and elected in 1992.
Shawqi Fakhoury:
Greek Orthodox lawyer from Zahleh. He is known to be close to President Hrawi, of
whom he was the lawyer. He was appointed minister of public works in the Omar Karami
government, minister of transport in the Rashid al-Solh government, and agriculture
minister in the second Hariri government.
Marwan Fares:
49-year-old Greek Catholic born in Qa' in the qada'
of Ba'lbak. He is a professor at the Lebanese University and one of the leading figures
in the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.
Nicholas Fattoush:
53-year-old Greek Catholic born in Zahleh. A lawyer, he is a member of the Zahleh
municipality. Elected deputy from Zahleh in 1992 on the Skaff list, although he is
known to be a political rival of Mr. Skaff. He was appointed minister of tourism
in the first and second Hariri cabinets.
Elie al-Firzli:
Greek Orthodox lawyer from the Zahleh area. He was appointed to parliament for Zahleh
in June 1991, and was elected deputy from the West Biqa' in the 1992 and 1996 elections.
He was elected deputy speaker of the 1992 parliament, and is known to be close to the Syrian leadership in the Biqa'.
Husayn al-Haj Hasan:
36-year-old Shi'a born in Hawsh al-Nabi in the qada'
of Ba'lbak. He graduated from the University of Orleans in France with a degree in
physics and chemistry. A member of Hizballah, he is a professor of medicine and pharmacy
at the Lebanese University.
Khalil Hrawi:
48-year-old Maronite lawyer born in Zahleh. He is the son of the former deputy George
Hrawi. Former secretary-general for the Biqa' region of the National Liberal Party
of Camille Chamoun; he left the party in 1981-82. He is the nephew of President Elias
Hrawi, with whom he has differed politically. The two have since been reconciled.
Husayn al-Husayni:
59-year-old Shi'a from Ba'lbak. He was elected to parliament as a deputy for the
Ba'lbak-Hermel region in 1972. One of the founders of the Amal movement and one of
the main architects of the Ta'if agreement when he was speaker of parliament.
George Kassardji:
Armenian Orthodox merchant from Zahleh. Originally a Syrian Orthodox, he was not
initially considered a legitimate representative by the Armenians. He has since,
however, moved close to the Armenian Tashnag party. His rise to power is attributed
to his close ties with the Syrian leadership in the Biqa'.
Rabi'a Keyrouz:
Maronite born in Dayr al-Ahmar in the qada'
of Ba'lbak. Son of Subhi Keyrouz, a notable in the area. Won election to parliament
in 1992 and 1996 on the Hizballah list.
Sami al-Khatib:
Sunni from Jib Jenin in the West Biqa'. Joined the Military Academy in 1952. He was
appointed commander of the Arab Deterrent Force in 1977 and interim commander of
the Lebanese Army loyal to the government of Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss in 1989.
The interior minister in the Solh cabinet of 1992, he is known to be close to Syria.
Ali Mayss:
Sunni doctor from Bar Elias in the qada'
of Zahleh. His family is the largest Sunni family in the area of Zahleh. He was appointed
a deputy in the post-Ta'if parliament. he is known to be close to the prime inister,
Rafiq al-Hariri.
Ammar Moussawi:
Shi'a born in Nabi Sheet in the qada'
of Ba'lbak. He is a member of the Political Bureau of Hizballah.
Abd al-Rahim Mrad:
Sunni businessman and lawyer from the West Biqa'. He was once secretary-general of
the Arab Socialist Union and remains a member of the party. Founder of the Omar Mukhtar
Educational and Cultural Assembly.
Asim Qanso:
59-year-old Shi'a born in Ba'lbak. Educated at the Sagesse school in Beirut and the
University of Belgrade in Yugoslavia, where he received a diploma in engineering.
He joined the Ba'th party in 1954, and was head of the Lebanese Regional Command
of the Ba'th party.
Shaykh Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyid:
Shi'a cleric from Ba'lbak. A former secretary-general of Hizballah, he was elected
to parliament on the party's list in 1992.
Henry Shadid:
Maronite businessman from Khirbet Qanafar in the West Biqa'. He is considered close
to Walid Junblat, who supported his unsuccessful election bid in 1992. He is one
of the shareholders in the DHL international courier company.
Elie Skaff:
47-year-old Greek Catholic agricultural engineer from Zahleh. Educated at the American
University of Beirut. Son of the late Biqa' notable and deputy Joseph Skaff, he is
considered among the leading politicians in Zahleh.
Isma'il Sukkariyeh:
47-year-old Sunni born in Fakiha in the qada'
of Ba'lbak. A medical doctor, he practiced at the American University Hospital in
Beirut. He is considered close to the prime minister, Rafiq al-Hariri.
Ghazi Ze'ayter:
47-year-old Shi'a born in Blouza on the Syrian border. He studied law at the Arab
University from where he graduated in 1972. The son of a deputy, he was the muhafiz
of Nabatiyyeh. He is close to the parliament speaker, Nabih Birri.
Lebanon Report Fall 1996 Index |
Publications Index