Ghazi Aridi

Ghazi Hani Aridi (born 17 October 1954) is a Lebanese politician who has held various cabinet portfolios. He was the minister of public works and transportation from 13 June 2011 to December 2013.

Ghazi Aridi
Minister of Public Works and Transportation
In office
13 June 2011 – December 2013
Prime MinisterNajib Mikati
Preceded byHimself
In office
2009 – 13 June 2011
Prime MinisterSaad Hariri
Succeeded byHimself
Minister of Culture
In office
17 April 2003 – 7 September 2004
Prime MinisterRafik Hariri
Minister of Information
In office
October 2001 – April 2003
Prime MinisterRafik Hariri
Personal details
Born (1954-10-17) 17 October 1954
Baisour, Lebanon
Political partyProgressive Socialist Party
Alma materLebanese University
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life

Aridi was born into a Druze family in Baisour on 17 September 1954.[1][2] Aridi studied physics at Lebanese University.[3]

Career

Aridi is a physics teacher by education and worked in a high school in Aley before dealing with politics.[4] In 1972, he joined the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) headed by Walid Jumblatt.[5] In 1980, he began to serve as a special envoy of the Lebanese National Movement (LNM). He became assistant secretary of the PSP in 1983.[5] He was sent to Algeria where he remained during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.[4] In 1991, Aridi began to serve as political advisor of Walid Jumblatt.[4] He returned to Lebanon in 1983 and launched a radio station, the Sawt al Jabal (Voice of the Mountain) that was the broadcast radio station of the PSP.[2] He worked as its director until 1994 when it was closed.[4]

Aridi won the Druze seat of Beirut's third district that was once held by Akram Chehayeb, becoming a member of parliament in 2000.[4][6][7] He was part of the Hariri's electoral list, called "Beirut Al Karama" (Beirut Dignity).[8]

Aridi was first appointed minister of information to the cabinet led by Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in October 2000.[9][10] Aridi served in the post until April 2003.[11] Then he served as the minister of culture in Hariri’s fifth cabinet from 17 April 2003 to 7 September 2004.[1][12]

Aridi, together with three other cabinet ministers, namely then economy minister Marwan Hamadeh, environment minister Farès Boueiz and refugee affairs minister Abdullah Farhat, resigned from office on 7 September in protest of constitutional amendment that extended the term of then president Emile Lahoud.[13][14] They were among the members of the Lebanese parliament, who voted against the extension of Lahoud's term.[15] Then state minister Karam Karam replaced Aridi as acting culture minister.[16] In the general elections of 2005, Aridi ran for office on Jumblatt's list[17] and won a seat from the third district of Beirut.[18]

Later Aridi served as the minister of information in Fouad Siniora's cabinet until 2008. Next, he was appointed minister of public works and transportation to the cabinet of then prime minister Fouad Siniora in July 2008.[6][19]

Aridi won a seat from the third district of Beirut in the 2009 general election as part of the 14 March alliance list.[20][21] He continued to serve as minister of public works and transportation in the Saad Hariri cabinet from 2009 to 2011.[22] In the cabinet, he was a member of democratic gathering and majority alliance.[23]

Aridi was again appointed to the same post on 13 June 2011 in the Najib Mikati's cabinet.[24] As a member of the Progressive Socialist Party, he was one of the three ministers appointed the party's leader Walid Jumblatt in the cabinet.[25] In other words, Aridi was part of the National Struggle Front in the cabinet.[26] He resigned from the post in December 2013.[27]

Alliances and views

Aridi is one of the most significant aides of Walid Jumblatt.[4] In addition, he has been political advisor of Jumblatt since 1991.[6] Aridi stated that he is a friend of Hassan Nasrallah and that he respects both him and Hezbollah.[11]

Publications

Aridi published two books: Words in Difficult Times (1992), a collection of his speeches and political comments given to radio Voice of the Mountain and Lebanon: A Big Price for a Small Role (1999), a political analysis of the situation in Lebanon and the Middle East.[5]

Personal life

Aridi is married to Yussra Salman and has a daughter and a son.[28]

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References
  1. "Meet the government". NOW Lebanon. 11 July 2008. Archived from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  2. "Biography for Ghazi Aridi". Silobreaker. 15 January 2009. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  3. "His Excellency Ghazi Hani Aridi". Arab Decision. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  4. Ibrahim, Roula (23 September 2012). "Walid Jumblatt and His Two Right Hands". Al Akhbar. Archived from the original on 27 February 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  5. "Lebanon's Who's Who". Arab Gateway. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  6. "Profiles: Lebanon's new government". Lebanon Wire. 12 July 2008. Archived from the original on 11 May 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  7. "Opposition Candidates Win Elections". APS Diplomat Recorder. 9 September 2000. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  8. "Murr Releases Official Results of Lebanon's Second Round of Elections". Albawaba. 5 September 2000. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  9. "Hariri Forms Govt". APS Diplomat Recorder. 28 October 2000. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  10. "Chronology: Lebanon". The Middle East Journal. 55 (2). Spring 2001. Retrieved 8 September 2013. – via Questia (subscription required)
  11. Paraipan, Manuela (23 September 2007). "Interview with Ghazi Aridi, Lebanon's Minister of Information". World Security Network. Archived from the original on 16 July 2007. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  12. "Lebanon's new Cabinet: Members list, observations". Lebanon Wire. 18 April 2003. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  13. Mallat, Chibli. Lebanon's Cedar Revolution An essay on non-violence and justice (PDF). Mallat. p. 122. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2012.
  14. "Four Lebanese ministers step down". BBC. 7 September 2004. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  15. Knudsen, Are (2005). "Precarious peacebuilding: Post-war Lebanon, 1990-2005" (PDF). CMI Working Paper. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  16. Nada Raad; Nafez Kawas (7 September 2004). "4 ministers quit Lebanese Cabinet over amendment". The Daily Star. Beirut. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  17. Mroueh, Wassim (5 April 2013). "Jumblatt's bloc submits candidacies for June". The Daily Star. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  18. "Lebanon's Elections 2005: Updated Electoral Lists". Ya Libnan. 21 May 2005. Archived from the original on 2 August 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  19. "Ghazi Aridi". Beirut. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2012.CS1 maint: unfit url (link)
  20. "New parliament composition" (PDF). Lebanese Information Center. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  21. "Elections in Lebanon" (PDF). IFES. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  22. "Lebanon's new Government" (PDF). International Foundation for Electoral Systems. 9 November 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
  23. "Breaking News: Lebanon has a new cabinet". Ya Libnan. Beirut. 9 November 2009. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  24. "Formation of the New Cabinet". Presidency of the Republic of Lebanon. 13 June 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  25. "The New Lebanese Government" (Assessment Report). Lebanese Information Center. July 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  26. "Prime Minister Najib Miqati's 30-member Cabinet Lineup". Naharnet. 13 June 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  27. "Aridi resigns from caretaker Cabinet". The Daily Star. 16 December 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  28. "His Excellency Ghazi Hani Aridi". Arab Decision. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
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