Kamel Asaad

Kamel al-Asaad or Kamel al-As'ad ( _ar. كامل الأسعد) is a Lebanese politician.

Assad was born into a wealthy Shi'a landowning family in southern Lebanon and followed his father Ahmed into a political career, being elected to the Parliament of Lebanon, representing the town of Bint Jbeil, in the early 1960s. From 1964 to 1992 he represented Hasbaya.

He served as Speaker of the Parliament on four occasions, from May to October 1964, from May to October 1968, and from 1970 to 1984. He presided over the elections of Elias Sarkis, Bashir Gemayel, a close friend and ally, and Amin Gemayel, as President of Lebanon.

In the aftermath of the collapse of the May 17 peace agreement with Israel, he resigned as speaker. He boycotted the elections in 1992 and 2005, and failed to win election in 1996 and 2000.

He is the head of the small Democratic Socialist Party, rival to Hezbollah and the Amal movement.