Rabah Bitat

1927 - 2000

Algerian revolutionary, government minister, and president of Assemblée Nationale Populaire (ANP).

Rabah Bitat was a founder of the Front de Libération Nationale (FLN) and is regarded as one of the nine historic chiefs of the Algerian revolution. The French captured Bitat and he remained in detention until the end of the Algerian war of independence in 1962.

Bitat first supported, then opposed, Ahmed Ben Bella. He held the transportation portfolio under Houari Boumédienne before becoming 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. Bitat returned to the ANP following Chadli Bendjedid's election. After the October 1988 riots, Bendjedid's accelerated reforms compounded by a declining dinar alienated Bitat, who resigned in protest in 1990. He remained a critic within FLN circles. His wife was Zohra Drif, a heroine of the Battle of Algiers. Bitat died in 2000.

Bibliography

Naylor, Phillip C., and Heggoy, Alf A. The Historical Dictionary of Algeria, 2d edition. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1994.

— PHILLIP C. NAYLOR

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (December 2008)

Rabah Bitat
5th President of Algeria
In office 27 December 1978 – 9 February 1979
Preceded by	Houari Boumédiènne
Succeeded by	Chadli Bendjedid
Born	December 19, 1925(1925-12-19) Constantine
Died	April 9, 2000 (aged 74) Algiers
Political party	FNL

Rabah Bitat (Arabic: رابح بيطاط‎) (December 19, 1925 - April 9/10, 2000). He served as President of the People's National Assembly from April 1977 to October 1990 and was the acting President of Algeria from 27 December 1978 to 9 February 1979. He became president after the death of Houari Boumédiènne and was replaced by Chadli Bendjedid. He was from the Front de Libération National.

v • d • e Heads of state of Algeria Farès • Abbas • Ben Bella • Boumédienne† • Bitat* • Bendjedid • Boudiaf • Kafi • Zéroual • Bouteflika *interim     †military

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