Former Speaker Hussein Husseini dies aged 86
Hussein Husseini, Lebanon's former parliament speaker and the father of the 1989 Taif Agreement that ended the country's 15-year civil war, died Wednesday after days of illness. He was 85.
Husseini was admitted to Beirut's American University Medical Center on Jan. 3, after suffering from a strong flu, the state-run National News Agency said. NNA added that Husseini remained in the intensive care unit until his death on Wednesday morning.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati declared a three-day mourning period in the crisis-hit Lebanon while Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri postponed a session that was scheduled to take place on Thursday to elect a new president.
"Today Lebanon has lost an authentic national and constitutional stature," Mikati said, adding that "al-Husseini's presence constituted a milestone in the history of parliamentary work in Lebanon."
Husseini was elected to parliament representing the northeastern Baalbek-Hermel region in 1972 and remained a legislator until 2008. He was elected as parliament speaker in 1984, a job that he kept until 1992.
The politician was a harsh critic of Lebanon's sectarian-based political system that divided top posts in the country of 5 million between Christian and Muslim communities. Husseini was also a strong vocal opponent of the country's financial policies, including heavy borrowing, that started in the 1990s and eventually led to Lebanon's ongoing three-year economic meltdown.
Born to a prominent Shiite family in the town of Shmistar in the eastern Bekaa Valley in April 1937, Husseini enjoyed wide respect among many Lebanese — especially for his defense of civil rights and for not being involved in widespread corruption among the country's political class.
In 1973, he helped found the Amal Movement and helped lift Lebanon's Shiite community from decades of marginalization to a main power-broker in the small nation.
In 1978, he became the head of the Amal Movement but stepped down two years later after he refused to have the group take part in the country's civil war. He was replaced by Berri who still heads Amal.
As parliament speaker, Husseini was a key power behind the 1989 peace agreement reached between rival Lebanese groups in the Saudi city of Taif that ended the 15-year civil war in 1990.
In 2008, Husseini resigned from parliament in protest of the Doha Agreement which ended weeks-long clashes between the country's political groups and formed a government that gave Hezbollah and its allies veto powers in the Cabinet. He claimed the deal was unconstitutional.
Husseini, who held a degree in business administration from Cairo University, is survived by several sons, daughters and grandchildren.
11 January 2023, 11:37
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A true patriot and a source of pride for the shiah sect in Lebanon, RIP
In 1978, he became Amal's Secretary General. He resigned from this post on 17 June 1980, as he refused to drench Amal in blood and fight alongside the PLO or any other faction. His resignation was followed by Amal's entry in the Lebanese Civil War
In 1992, Nabih Berri was backed by the Syrians during their military presence in Lebanon to replace Husseini as Speaker, as Husseini had refused, despite enormous pressure, to pass a law that would allow Rafik Hariri (and later Solidere) to expropriate land and property in the Beirut Central District and compensate owners with shares in the company worth as little as 15% of the property's value
11 January 2023, 15:35
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Hussein Husseini was considered by many to be a better speaker of the house than his successor Nabih Berry for a variety of reasons.
Additionally, he was known for his strong leadership skills and ability to bring different factions together to work towards common goals. He was a powerful advocate for the rights of minorities, and worked to promote equality and justice for all. On the other hand Nabih Berry was not in a role as long and might not have the same level of experience and achievement.
Another reason is that Husseini was a skilled diplomat and was able to build strong relationships with other leaders, both within the Shia community and beyond. He was able to use these relationships to advance the interests of his people, while Nabih Berry doesn’t have the same level of skill and experience in diplomacy and only cares for his personal interests.
