Ahmad bin Hussein al-Ghashmi (; 21 August 1935 – 24 June 1978) was a Yemeni military officer who served as the fourth President of the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) from 11 October 1977 until his assassination eight months later. Al-Ghashmi had assumed power when his predecessor, Ibrahim al-Hamdi, was likewise assassinated.
Early life and career
Ahmed al-Ghashmi was born on 21 August 1935 in Hamdan District, Sanaa Governorate, North Yemen. According to some sources he was born in 1938, By the time Ibrahim al-Hamdi was president of North Yemen, al-Gashmi was vice president of the Leadership Council and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.
Activities as President
President al-Ghashmi reinstated the 1970 Constitution, which had previously been suspended by al-Hamdi, the country's previous President, in 1974. However, an important body such as the Consultative Council was not reinstated, and at the same time the office of the President was introduced. The presidency was restored on 22 April 1978, when the Constituent People's Assembly approved the abolition of the Military Command Council and appointed al-Ghashmi as president.
He appointed Ali Abdullah Saleh as military governor in Taiz, who became the next president.
Assassination
President al-Ghashmi's assassination occurred on 24 June 1978 when he was meeting an envoy sent by People's Democratic Republic of Yemen President, Salim Rubai Ali. A briefcase, reportedly containing a secret message, exploded, killing both al-Ghashmi and the envoy. It is not conclusively known who set off the explosion.
See also
- NDF Rebellion
- List of heads of state of Yemen