| Order | Interim President of Algeria |
|---|---|
| Term start | 27 December 1978 |
| Term end | 9 February 1979 |
| Predecessor | Houari Boumédiène |
| Successor | Chadli Bendjedid |
| Birth date | 19 December 1925 |
| Birth place | Aïn Kerma, Constantine,[1] Algeria |
| Death date | 10 April 2000 (aged 74) |
| Death place | Paris, France |
| Spouse | Zohra Drif (m. 1962) |
| Party | FLN |
| Native name | رابح بيطاط |
| Order 1 | President of the People's National Assembly |
| Term end 1 | 3 October 1990 |
| Term start 1 | 8 March 1977 |
Rabah Bitat (Arabic: رابح بيطاط; ALA-LC: Rābaḥ Bīṭāṭ; 19 December 1925 – 10 April 2000) was an Algerian nationalist and politician.
He served as interim President of Algeria from 1978 to 1979, after Houari Boumédiène's death.
Career
Bitat was appointed as Vice President of Algeria in the cabinet of Ahmed Ben Bella from September 1962 to September 1963.[2] Bitat served as President of the People's National Assembly from April 1977 to October 1990 and was the interim President of Algeria from 27 December 1978 to 9 February 1979[3] after the sudden death of Houari Boumédiènne and before the election of Chadli Bendjedid. He was from the Front de Libération National.[3]
Bitat first supported and then opposed Ahmed Ben Bella. He held the transportation portfolio under Houari Boumédiène and later became the first president of the ANP (by the constitution of 1976). Bitat served as acting president (December 1978 – February 1979) after Boumédienne's death in December 1978.[4]
Death
Bitat died in Paris on 10 April 2000.[5]
Personal life
He is survived by his wife Zohra Drif, a member of the Council of the Nation.[6] Bitat and Drif went on to have three children, and now have five grandchildren. They were married until his death in 2000.
See also
References
- ^ "One of the founders of Algerian independence". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
- ^ Ottaway, Professor Marina; Ottaway, David; Ottaway, Marina (15 December 1970). "Algeria: The Politics of a Socialist Revolution". University of California Press. – via Google Books.
- ^ "Bitat, Rabah". Rulers. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
- ^ "Rabah Bitat". Answers. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
- ^ Johnson, Douglas (24 April 2000). "Rabah Bitat". The Guardian
- ^ "Zohra Drif appelle à un grand débat national", El Annabi, 8 February 2011, retrieved 23 February 2011