Mikhael al-Daher, a former Lebanese Member of Parliament and minister, has passed away at the age of 95.
Al-Daher served as a deputy for the Maronite seat in Akkar for several years and held a position in the government of Prime Minister Rafic Hariri under President Elias Hrawi in 1992.
In September 1988, a slogan that topped Beirut’s newspapers, “Mikhael al-Daher, or chaos,” became a symbol of the former deputy and minister’s influence in the Lebanese community.
Following President Amin Gemayel’s term, Al-Daher’s name was proposed as a presidential candidate with support from both the US and Syria, but the elections did not take place, and General Michel Aoun took over the transitional authority.
After the signing of the Taif Accord the following year, elections were held in Koleiat, where Al-Daher withdrew his candidacy in favor of the late President René Moawad.
Al-Daher’s political career continued as he was elected to the parliamentary assembly several times, serving from 1972 to 1992, 1992 to 1996, and 2000 to 2005.
In the 1980s, Al-Daher was a member of the Independent Maronite Representatives Bloc alongside other notable figures such as Elias El-Khazen, Gebran Tawk, Habib Keyrouz, and Elias Hrawi.
Al-Daher’s death marks the end of a long and influential political career in Lebanon.
