The National News Agency reported the death of MP Michel Murr after contracting the coronavirus.
MP Murr (September 29, 1932 -), was a Lebanese politician and businessman who played an influential role in public life and Lebanese political structures for many years as a minister, parliamentarian, and financier. He studied at the Jesuit Fathers' School and then at Saint Joseph University, where he graduated in 1955 with a degree in civil engineering. After graduation, he traveled to Sierra Leone and established a public works company that achieved widespread success.
He ran for parliament for the first time in the 1960 elections, allied with the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, but lost. He ran again in 1964 and lost as well. In the 1968 elections, he ran for the Metn district and formed an alliance with the Kataeb Party within the triple alliance list, allowing him to become a member of parliament. He also ran in the 1972 elections but was not successful. During the Lebanese Civil War, he was considered close to the Lebanese Forces under the leadership of Bashir Gemayel and later Elie Hbeika, and he contributed to the signing of the "Triple Agreement" in Damascus in 1985. On March 20, 1991, he survived an assassination attempt following a car bomb explosion while passing through the Antelias area.
After the Taif Agreement, he was appointed as a deputy for the Greek Orthodox seat in Aley, and he ran for elections in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2005, and 2009, succeeding each time. During his 1992 term, he chaired a parliamentary bloc composed of ten members, while in the 1996 and 2000 terms, he chaired blocs of seven members. In the 2005 elections, he was a member of the Change and Reform bloc led by his election ally MP Michel Aoun, before leaving the bloc and declaring himself an independent member.
He played an important political role since 1968, contributing to the election of Presidents Elias Sarkis, Bashir Gemayel, Emil Lahoud, and Michel Sleiman, and he is considered by some to be a maker of presidents. In October 2004, he was elected Deputy Speaker of the Parliament after Deputy Speaker Elie Ferzli took a ministerial post in President Omar Karami's government.
**His Participation in Lebanese Governments**
Throughout his political career, he held many ministerial portfolios while serving as Deputy Prime Minister:
- Minister of Housing and Cooperatives, and Minister of Post, Telegraph, and Telephone from July 16, 1979, to October 25, 1980, in the government of President Selim Hoss during President Elias Sarkis's term.
- Minister of Post, Telegraph, and Telephone from October 25, 1980, to October 7, 1982, in the government of President Shafiq Wazzan during President Elias Sarkis's term.
- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense from December 24, 1990, to May 16, 1992, in President Omar Karami's government during President Elias Hrawi's term.
- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense from May 16, 1992, to October 31, 1992, in President Rashid Solh's government during President Elias Hrawi's term; additionally, from September 16, 1992, he also became Minister of Post and Telecommunications.
- Deputy Prime Minister from October 31, 1992, to May 25, 1995, in President Rafik Hariri's government during President Elias Hrawi's term, and on September 2, 1994, he also became Minister of Interior.
- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior from May 25, 1995, to November 7, 1996, in President Rafik Hariri's government during President Elias Hrawi's term.
- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior from November 7, 1996, to December 4, 1998, in President Rafik Hariri's government during President Elias Hrawi's term.
- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and Minister of State for Municipal and Rural Affairs from December 4, 1998, to October 26, 2000, in President Selim Hoss's government during President Emil Lahoud's term.
