Aridi, together with three other cabinet ministers, namely then economy minister Marwan Hamadeh, environment minister Farès Boueiz and refugee affairs minister Abdullah Farhat, resigned from office on 7 September in protest of constitutional amendment that extended the term of then president Emile Lahoud.
Marwan al-Shehhi | Abu Marwan Abd al-Malik I Saadi | Marwan Hamadeh | Ashraf Marwan | Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan |
In October 2004, Kassar was appointed minister of economy and trade in the cabinet led by prime minister Omar Karami, replacing Marwan Hamadeh as economy minister.