The Third Jamil Mardam Bey government was the thirty-sixth government in the history of modern Syria and the twenty-first administration of the First Syrian Republic. Formed on 6 October 1947 following the parliamentary elections of 1947, it was the seventh government to serve under President Shukri al-Quwatli and the third cabinet headed by Jamil Mardam Bey. The government was composed primarily of members of the People's Party, alongside independent and nationalist politicians.
The cabinet is often remembered as the "Nakba Government" because it governed Syria during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Prior to the outbreak of hostilities, Mardam Bey publicly predicted that the conflict would be brief and that the Arab armies would decisively defeat the emerging Israeli state. During its tenure, the government authorized military mobilization, encouraged public enlistment in the armed forces, approved extraordinary military expenditures through parliament, and hosted the Damascus Conference, convened on 11 May 1948 to coordinate Arab policy regarding Palestine.
One of the government's most significant domestic actions was the amendment of the constitution to permit President Shukri al-Quwatli to seek a second term in office. The constitutional amendment was adopted on 18 April 1948, and al-Quwatli was subsequently re-elected president. In accordance with constitutional practice, the government resigned following the president's inauguration for a second term on 23 August 1948. The cabinet was also notable for being the first government in modern Syrian history not to include any Christian ministers.
Composition
See also Council of Ministers (Syria) List of Syrian governments Government ministries of Syria List of prime ministers of Syria
References