Rushdi al-Kikhya | |
|---|---|
رشدي الكيخيا | |
 Rushdi al-Kikhya in 1932 | |
| Speaker of the Parliament of Syria | |
| In office December 12, 1949 – June 23, 1951 | |
| Minister of Interior | |
| In office August 14, 1949 – December 12, 1949 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1899 (1899) Aleppo, Syria |
| Died | 14 March 1987(1987-03-14) (aged 87–88) Nicosia, Cyprus |
| Political party | People's Party,National Bloc |
| Education | Sorbonne University |
| Occupation | Politician |
Rushdi al-Kikhya (Arabic:رشدي الكيخيا; 1899 – 14 March 1987) was a Syrian political leader who founded thePeople's party in 1948. Kikhya was elected as aSpeaker of the Parliament of Syria between 1949 and 1951, and he was elected five terms as a member of theSyrian Parliament (MP) (1936, 1943, 1947, 1949 and 1954). Kikhiya also served as minister of interior in 1949.
Rushdi al-Kikhya was born and raised inAleppo. His grandfather, Ahmed, was a member in theChamber of Deputies.[1] He was educated at the Islamic College inBeirut,[1] followed by studying law at theSorbonne in Paris, before his return to Syria in 1922.[2]
He later became a member in theNational Bloc, and was elected to theSyrian Parliament in 1936.[1] In 1939, Kikhya clashed with the Bloc leadership, however, over their failure to prevent Turkey's annexation of theSanjak of Alexandretta, territory in northern Syria that had once been part of the Ottoman Empire.[2]
Kikhya joinedNazem al-Qudsi, also from Aleppo, and campaigned against the election ofShukri al-Quwatli, the National Bloc candidate for the presidency in 1943.[2] In 1948, Kikhiya founded thePeople's party withNazem al-Qudsi andMustafa Bey Barmada.[3][4]
Kikhya supported the coup that oustedHusni al-Za'im in August 1949 and allied himself with Syria's new leader, PresidentHashim al-Atasi. Kikhya became minister of interior in a cabinet headed by Atasi himself that lasted from August to December 1949. Kikhya then became chairman of the Constitutional Assembly that drafted a new constitution for Syria. In September, he became a deputy for Aleppo and was elected speaker of the parliament.[2]
The leadership of the People's Party including Kikhya pushed to form a union withIraq, to curb any future Israeli eastward expansion. However, Kikhya withdrew from the political life upon the formation of theUnited Arab Republic in 1958.[5]
He died on 14 March 1987 inNicosia, Cyprus, and was buried there.[1]