| Said al-Ghazzi سعيد الغزي |
|
|---|---|
| Prime Minister al-Ghazzi at the Syrian Parliament in 1956 | |
| Prime Minister of Syria | |
| In office 19 June 1954 – 3 November 1954 |
|
| President | Hashim al-Atassi |
| Preceded by | Sabri al-Assali |
| Succeeded by | Faris al-Khoury |
| In office 13 September 1955 – 14 June 1956 |
|
| President | Shukri al-Quwatli |
| Preceded by | Sabri al-Assali |
| Succeeded by | Sabri al-Assali |
| Speaker of the Parliament of Syria | |
| In office September 17, 1962 – March 7, 1963 |
|
| Preceded by | Anwar Sadat |
| Succeeded by | Mansour al-Atrash |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1893 Damascus, Ottoman Syria |
| Died | 1967 |
| Political party | independent |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Said al-Ghazzi (Arabic: سعيد الغزي) (1893, Damascus – 1967) is a Syrian lawyer, politician and two time prime minister of Syria. Al-Ghazzi was well known in Syrian politics as an independent liberal which made him a favorite to all in times of crisis.[1]
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Before entering politics Said al-Ghazzi was one of the leading lawyers in Syria.[1] He started his political career in 1928 when he joined the National Bloc that opposed the French mandate of Syria. He was an appointed member of the constitutional assembly which laid out the first constitution in republican Syria. His first cabinet position was in 1936 when the nationalists came to power after the Franco-Syrian Treaty of Independence. Prime minister Jamil Mardam Bey appointed al-Ghazzi as minister of justice. He was to hold that position again in two later cabinets, the first in 1945 and the second in 1948.[1] He also served as minister of finance in 1939.[2]
In the early days of the Shukri al-Quwatli presidency al-Ghazzi served as the vice-speaker of the parliament, but he lost the nationalists' support in the early 1940s for backing the French-sponsored president, Taj al-Din al-Hasani. In 1943 he rejoined the nationalists and was elected as part of Quwatli's election list.[1]
Said al-Ghazzi formed his first cabinet in 1954 in which he served as the minister of defense. His cabinet came in a time of turmoil right after the overthrow of the military dictatorship of Adib Shishakli. Al-Ghazzi's primary concern was keeping the army in its barracks and ending the civilian-military hostility created by his predecessor, Sabri al-Assali. He was faced with antagonism from the military establishment from the start, amid fears that he would continue the military containment program started by Sabri al-Assali.[3] Following the 1954 parliamentary elections al-Ghazzi tendered his resignation to president Hashim al-Atassi and retired to his legal office in Damascus to continue his private life as a lawyer.[4]
In 1955 the nation was in turmoil again following the assassination of Adnan al-Malki and Quwatli was again elected president. Failing to convince any party member to form a cabinet, Quwatli turned to al-Ghazzi with the offer. Al-Ghazzi accepted and started the consultation process. The new cabinet was ready on September 6.[5]
During his new tenure as prime minister al-Ghazzi did his best to please two elements to help stabilize the nation: the military establishment, and Gamal Abdul Nasser of Egypt. He also worked to keep Syria within the Eastern bloc, announcing Syria's new friendship with the USSR as well as several arms and trade deals with other eastern countries. His cabinet collapsed in June 1956 after opposition to his strong ties to Nasser and the USSR.[6]
Said al-Ghazzi retired from public life during the short-lived United Arab Republic. He came back to serve as speaker of the parliament after the breakup of the union in 1961, serving until the March 1963 coup that brought the Baath Party to power. He died in 1967.[7]
| Preceded by Sabri al-Assali |
Prime Minister of Syria 19 June 1954 – 3 November 1954 |
Succeeded by Faris al-Khoury |
| Preceded by Sabri al-Assali |
Prime Minister of Syria 13 September 1955 – 14 June 1956 |
Succeeded by Sabri al-Assali |
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