The late Lebanese MP Ghassan Skaff. Photo taken from Michel Daher's X account.
Several Lebanese officials and journalists paid tribute to Lebanese MP Ghassan Skaff, who died Saturday morning after battling cancer.
Ghassan Skaff, an independent elected in 2022 to the Greek Orthodox seat of Bekaa II (Rashaya–West Bekaa), was married and the father of three children. He held a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery from Saint Joseph University (USJ) in Beirut. He had been a professor and head of the neurosurgery department at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) since January 2007, and director of the spine program at the same center since 2002.
Skaff was also director of education for the Middle East Council at AO Spine, an international organization dedicated to education, research, and innovation in spine surgery. He chaired the scientific committee of the Lebanese Order of Physicians from 2010 to 2016 and worked as a neurosurgery resident physician at the University of California, Los Angeles, from 1990 to 1992.
According to the website al-Modon, he was the first MP to propose postponing the legislative elections scheduled for May 2026.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam paid tribute to the late lawmaker in a post on X. “Despite illness, MP and friend Ghassan Skaff visited me a few weeks ago, carrying a concern for dialogue and persisting until the very last moment in seeking solutions to difficulties. His absence is a loss for Parliament, which will miss his wisdom and calm, just as Lebanon will miss a physician and a free and noble voice,” he wrote.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said: “We are losing an exceptional parliamentary, scientific, and national figure. He worked for Lebanon and for humanity, carrying their hopes and pains beyond his own suffering until his last breath.”
Information Minister Paul Morcos wrote in a statement that Ghassan Skaff was “a man who carried the concerns of the country and left his mark on politics, medicine, and society.” Energy Minister Joe Saddi said that “with the passing of Ghassan Skaff, Lebanon loses a statesman of noble character, who worked to build bridges in the interest of the country.”
'A patriot to the core of his convictions'
MP Pierre Bou Assi (Lebanese Forces) lamented on X the loss of “a man of principles and great moral integrity.” His colleague Alain Aoun (former Free Patriotic Movement) praised the memory of “a distinguished physician and MP, who always took the initiative to find solutions, ease tensions, and build bridges in times of deep division. His calm, integrity and constant dynamism, despite the severity of his illness, will be deeply missed.”
MP Wael Bou Faour (Progressive Socialist Party), elected from the same constituency as Skaff, said he “was a patriot to the core of his convictions, courageous in expressing his views, moral in his conduct, clear-sighted, consistently serious, and committed to seeking solutions.” He added that Skaff was “a major scientific reference and a distinguished doctor of whom Lebanon can be proud.”
Michel Daher, also a Bekaa MP, emphasized that the late lawmaker “approached public affairs with the mind of a doctor and the conscience of a human being. His presence was measured, his positions thoughtful, without noise or pretension.”
'The godfather of mediations'
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri described Skaff’s death as “a loss for the Bekaa, the country, medicine, and politics.”
Several journalists also paid tribute. “The godfather of mediations in times of political distancing treated politicians with his wisdom and initiatives despite his suffering from illness,” wrote Mariam Bassam on X. “He was a medical reference who enjoyed great respect,” wrote Ricardo Karam.
Under Article 41 of the Constitution, in the event of a vacant seat in Parliament, a by-election must be held “within two months… unless Parliament is less than six months from the end of its term.” Legislative elections are scheduled in less than six months, although this remains uncertain due to political deadlock and disputes over voting procedures for expatriates.
