During the parliamentary session that took place on February 28, 1954, in which Maamoun al-Kuzbari nominated himself for presidential office, and won, assuming his duties for 24-hours. Kuzbari was Adib al-Shishakli's Speaker of Parliament. When Shishakli fled Syria, as a result of a military uprising against him, Kuzbari tried to assume the vacant presidency, but failed, since Syria's constitutional president, Hashim al-Atasi, was restored to power on March 1, 1954.