Marwan Hamadeh, Telecommunication
Minister, Chouf MP

Place and Date of Birth: Born in Beirut in 1939; Son of Mohammad Ali Hamadeh and Amelie Malaquin.
Sect: Druze
Marital status: Married to Lina Mikdadi with two chidren, Karim and Rania.
Education: A graduate of Saint Joseph University with a Law Degree in 1963, and a Masters in Economics in 1964.
Professional Background: Lawyer, economist, journalist and businessman. Senior accountant at "BSR" 1964. Co-founder of "L’Orient le Jour" newspaper, senior editorialist (1971- 75), correspondent of RTL (1968-80), Le Point (1971-80), Assistant Manager of "An-Nahar" newspaper 1975-76. Founder and Director of An-Nahar International Publications S.A. (1977). Member of the board of administration of "Siblin Cement" President of "Idarat" executive office. Member of board of administration of Crédit Libanais and First National Bank. Member of the Druze Permanent Office for Research and Development. Member of the UNESCO International Bioethical Committee.
Current Political Status: Telecommincation Minister, Chouf MP.
Political Career: Member of the parliamentary bloc "National Struggle Front" that was enlarged to include the "Democratic Gathering" after the 2000 legislative elections. Member of the delegation of the National Salvation Front to Geneva and Lausanne 1983-84. Member of the National Constitutional Reform Committee Sep 1984. Parliamentary: Appointed deputy in September 1,1991, elected in 1992, re-elected in 1996, 2000 and 2005. President of the Planning and Development Commission (1996-2000). Member of the Parliamentary Commission of the Public Health, Labor and Social Affairs. Ministerial: Minister of Tourism in Chafic Wazzan government (25 Oct.1980 - 24 Sep 1982). Minister of Economy and Commerce in Omar Karame government (24 Dec 1990 - 10 May 1992). Minister of Health and Social Affairs in Rachid El Solh government (16 May 1992 - 30 Oct 1992). Minister of Health and Social Affairs in Rafic Hariri government (31 Oct 1992 - 25 May 1995). Minister of Health in Rafic Hariri government (25 May 1995 - 6 Nov 1996). Minister of Displaced in Rafic Hariri government (October 26, 2000-April 15, 2003). Minister of Economy and Trade in Hariri's fifth government (April 17, 2003 - October 26, 2004). Minister of Telecommunication in Fouad Sniora's cabinet (July 19,2005 - )
Resignation: Hamadeh was one of four ministers who quit on September 6, 2004, in protest at a controversial Syrian-inspired constitutional amendment that kept Damascus protege President Emile Lahoud in power for another three years.
Assassination attempt: A car bomb exploded in Beirut on Friday, October 1, 2004, wounding Hamadeh and killing his driver. After the attempt, hamadeh made a statement saying, "I want to stress that as a member of parliament, a member of the Democratic Gathering and the National Struggle Front in parliament and as a member of the Lebanese Press Higher Council, I will work, for the rest of my life, on uncovering the circumstances of the crime that targeted the Lebanese people as a whole, as well as its politicians and representatives".
Publications: "Islam and Participation" (1974, in Arabic); "From km 101 to Geneva" (1974).
Contact Information: Office: An-Nahar, Hamra Street, Tel: 961 (1) 340960. Private: Arts et Metier District, Tel: 961 (1) 348450 - 961 (1) 342445 - 961 (1) 347270. Home Tel: 961 (1) 360311. Fax: 961 (1) 746065, Beirut, Lebanon.