Fouad Mebazaa

Fouad Mebazaa
فؤاد المبزع
President of Tunisia
Acting
In office
15 January 2011  13 December 2011
Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi
Béji Caïd Essebsi
Preceded by Mohamed Ghannouchi (Acting)
Succeeded by Moncef Marzouki
President of the Chamber of Deputies
In office
14 October 1997  15 January 2011
President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
Preceded by Habib Boularès
Succeeded by Sahbi Karoui (Acting)
Personal details
Born 15 June 1933[1]
Tunis, Tunisia
Political party Independent (2011–present)[2]
Other political
affiliations
Constitutional Democratic Rally (Before 2011)
Religion Islam

Fouad Mebazaa (Arabic: فؤاد المبزع Fuʾād al-Mubazzaʿ; born 15 June 1933) is a Tunisian politician who was President of Tunisia from 15 January 2011 to 13 December 2011.[3] He was active in Neo Destour prior to Tunisian independence,[1] served as Minister of Youth and Sports, Minister of Public Health, and Minister of Culture and Information,[1] and was President of the Chamber of Deputies of Tunisia[4] from 1997 to 2011.[1]

Political career

Pre-independence

Born during the French occupation of Tunisia, Mebazaa became a member of the "constitutional youth" in 1947 and was elected a member of the AixMarseille unit of the Neo Destour political party, which played a major role in gaining independence from France.[1] He was elected as Secretary-General of the Marsa unit of Neo Destour in 1955 and President of its Montpellier unit in 1956.[1]

1956–2010

After Tunisian independence in 1956, Mebazaa was elected to the Chamber of Deputies several times, starting in 1964.[1] He was Governor-Mayor of Tunis from 1969 to 1973, occupied several ministerial posts relating to youth, sports, public health, culture and information during the 1970s and late 1980s, and was an ambassador in Geneva and Morocco during the 1980s.[1] Mebazaa has been a member the Central Committee of the Constitutional Democratic Rally since 1988. From 1995 to 1998 he was Mayor of Carthage.[1] He was elected President of the Chamber of Deputies in 1997 and reelected in 2004.[1]

2011 Presidency

After the exile of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to Saudi Arabia following continued protests, Mebazaa was appointed as President following the Constitutional Council's interpretation of the situation and the Constitution. Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi had briefly claimed to be President the previous day, prior to the Constitutional Council's declaration of its opinion.[5] Under Article 57 of the Constitution, an election should have taken place between 45 to 60 days following Mebazaa's appointment.[3][6]

References

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Habib Boularès
President of the Chamber of Deputies
1997–2011
Succeeded by
Sahbi Karoui
Acting
Preceded by
Mohamed Ghannouchi
Acting
President of Tunisia
Acting

2011
Succeeded by
Moncef Marzouki