Sufi Abu Taleb

Sufi Abu Taleb (Arabic: صوفي أبو طالب, romanized: Ṣūfī Abū Ṭālib; January 27, 1925 – February 21, 2008) was an Egyptian politician who served as the 6th speaker of the People's Assembly of Egypt from 1978 to 1983 and, following the assassination of Anwar Sadat on 6 October 1981, assumed the duties of acting head of state for eight days per the Egyptian Constitution. He subsequently stepped aside for Sadat's Vice-President Hosni Mubarak.^[1][2]

Early life

Abu Taleb was born in Tamiya in Faiyum Governorate. Upon completion of high school, he joined the Faculty of Law at Cairo University, where he received a bachelor's degree in 1946. He received also a diploma in Public Law in 1947, and in 1948 he was given a scholarship and sent to France and joined the University of Paris where he received a diploma in History of Law and Roman Law in 1949 and a diploma in Private Law in 1950.^[1]

Politics

In 1978, Abu Taleb was elected Speaker of the People's Assembly. When President Anwar El Sadat was assassinated on 6 October 1981, Abu Taleb became Acting President, as the Egyptian constitution ruled that the Speaker would assume that role in the case of a vacancy of the presidential office, pending an election in 60 days. Not being considered a serious candidate for the presidency, he stepped aside after just eight days in favor of Vice-President Hosni Mubarak.^[1]

Family

His son, Ahmad Sufi Abu Taleb, is an independent politician who ran in the 2000 parliamentary elections, facing in his district Tamia, Fayoum the NDP's veteran MP Hussein Eweiss. The Abu Taleb family used to be Tamia's deputies for more than 30 years.^[1]

Death

Sufi Abu Taleb died on February 21, 2008, in Malaysia at the age of 83. He had been visiting Malaysia for an alumni reunion for graduates of Cairo's al-Azhar University.^[1]

National honours

Grand Cordon of the Order of the Arab Republic of Egypt (1978).^[1]