Hadiya Khalaf Abbas

Hadiya Abbas
هدیة عباس
Speaker of the People's Council
In office
6 June 2016 – 20 July 2017
PresidentBashar al-Assad
Preceded byMohammad Jihad al-Laham
Succeeded byHammouda Sabbagh
Member of the Central Command of the Syrian Regional Branch of the Baath Party
In office
22 April 2017 – 13 November 2021
Personal details
Born1958 (1958)
Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Syria
Died13 November 2021(2021-11-13) (aged 62–63)
Deir ez-Zor, Syria
Political partyArab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region
Alma materUniversity of Aleppo[1]

Hadiya Khalaf Abbas (Arabic: هدیة خلف عباس, 1958 – 13 November 2021) was a Syrian politician who served as the Speaker of the People's Council of Syria from June 2016 to July 2017. She is the only woman to have held the post.[2]

Biography and career

Abbas was born in Deir ez-Zor Governorate in 1958 and got a doctorate in agricultural engineering from the University of Aleppo. She was also professor at the Al-Furat University.[3][4]

After the 2016 Syrian parliamentary election, Abbas was elected Speaker of the People's Council of Syrian in the first session of the chamber on 6 June 2016, becoming the first woman to reach this office. She won uncontested.[4]

On 20 July 2017, Syria's Parliament issued a resolution discharging Abbas from her post as Speaker, with a majority of member votes. Abbas was accused by some parliamentarians of "preventing some members from submitting their interposition and turning a blind eye to their willingness to discuss a number of articles according to the constitutional rules," a behavior other parliamentarians described as "irresponsible and illegal."[5] Deputy Speaker was appointed interim speaker until the voting of Hammouda Sabbagh as Abbas' successor took place on 28 September 2017.[6]

Abbas died on 13 November 2021, at Military Hospital of Deir ez-Zor at the age of 63 after suffering a heart attack.[7]

References

  1. ^ "The death of the former Speaker of the Syrian People's Assembly, Hadiya Abbas, of a heart attack".
  2. ^ "250 New Parliament Members Take Constitutional Oath". Syria Times. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  3. ^ Refaat, Taarek (14 November 2021). "Hadiya Khalaf Abbas was elected as the Speaker of the People's Council of Syria, becoming the first woman to hold the post". See.
  4. ^ a b "Syrian woman becomes first female parliament speaker". AP News. 6 June 2016.
  5. ^ "People's Assembly discharges Mrs. Hadyiah Abbas from her post as Speaker". 20 July 2017.
  6. ^ "Little-known Syrian politician elected parliament speaker". AP News. 28 September 2017.
  7. ^ "وفاة هدية عباس.. أول رئيسة لمجلس الشعب السوري في زمن نظام الأسد". Syria TV (in Arabic). 14 November 2021.