Bishara Merhej
Bishara Merhej (born 1946) is a Lebanese journalist and politician who held various cabinet posts, including minister of interior. He also served at the Lebanese parliament in the 1990s.
Bishara Merhej | |
---|---|
Minister of State for Administrative Reform | |
In office 7 November 1996 – 4 December 1998 | |
Prime Minister | Rafik Hariri |
Minister of State | |
In office 2 September 1994 – 25 May 1995 | |
Prime Minister | Rafik Hariri |
Preceded by | Shahé Barsoumian |
Minister of Interior | |
In office 31 October 1992 – 2 September 1994 | |
Prime Minister | Rafik Hariri |
Succeeded by | Michel Murr |
Personal details | |
Born | 1946 (age 76–77) Beirut, Lebanon |
Spouse | Wali Grote |
Children | 2 |
Alma mater | American University of Beirut |
Early life and education
Merhej was born in Beirut in 1946.[1] He hails from a Greek Orthodox family.[2] He obtained a degree in economics from the American University of Beirut.[1]
Career
Following his graduation Merhej first worked as a teacher.[1] Then he began to work as a journalist.[1] He is cofounder of the Active Arab Front and joined the Al Baath Arab Socialist Party where he served in different capacities until 1973.[1] In 1975 he involved in the establishment of the Assembly of Popular Leagues and Association which supported a united Lebanon and Arab identity of the country.[1]
Merhej was elected to the Parliament in the elections of 1992 and 1996 representing Beirut.[1] At the parliament he was a member of the human rights committee.[2] On 31 October 1992 he was appointed interior minister to the first cabinet of Rafik Hariri who selected him to the post.[3] In a reshuffle Merhej was named state minister on 2 September 1994.[2][3] Merhej was the minister of state for administrative reform in the third cabinet of Hariri between 7 November 1996 and 4 December 1998.[1]
Personal life
Merhej is married to Wali Grote, a physician, with who he has two daughters.[1]
References
- "Bechara Merhej". OMSAR. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- Maurus Reinkowski; Sofia Saadeh (2006). "A Nation Divided. Lebanese Confessionalism". In Haldun Gülalp (ed.). Citizenship and Ethnic Conflict: Challenging the Nation-state. London; New York: Routledge. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-415-36897-1.
- Ward Vloeberghs (2015). Architecture, Power and Religion in Lebanon. Rafiq Hariri and the politics of sacred space in Beirut. Vol. 114. Leiden; Boston: Brill. pp. 381–382. doi:10.1163/9789004307056_010. ISBN 9789004307056.