The First Abdul Rauf al-Kasm government was the eighty-first government since the establishment of the modern Syrian state in 1918. Formed on 14 January 1980 by Decree No. 3, it was the fifth government to serve under the presidency of Hafez al-Assad. The government was headed by Abdul Rauf al-Kasm and remained in office until 11 March 1984.
The government was formed shortly after the conclusion of the Seventh Regional Congress of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party on 6 January 1980. President Hafez al-Assad's decision to appoint al-Kasm as Prime Minister came as a surprise to members of the party leadership, as al-Kasm had reportedly expected only to be appointed Minister of Housing. According to accounts by Regional Command member Walid Hamdoun, al-Assad unexpectedly proposed al-Kasm to head the new government during discussions on the government's formation.
The government presided over one of the most turbulent periods of Hafez al-Assad's presidency, marked by the escalation of the Islamist insurgency in Syria, continued Syrian involvement in the Lebanese Civil War, and the consolidation of state authority. It remained in office for more than four years before being succeeded by a second government headed by al-Kasm on 11 March 1984.
Composition
See also Council of Ministers (Syria) List of Syrian governments Government ministries of Syria List of prime ministers of Syria
References