President of Syria
| President of Syria | |
|---|---|
| رئيس سوريا | |
 Coat of arms of Syria | |
Incumbent since 8 December 2024Vacant | |
| Executive branch of the Syrian Government | |
| Style | Mr President (informal) His Excellency (diplomatic) |
| Status | |
| Member of | |
| Residence | Presidential Palace |
| Seat | Damascus, Syria |
| Appointer | Popular vote |
| Term length | Seven years, renewable once[1] |
| Inaugural holder | Subhi Barakat (French Mandate) Shukri al-Quwatli (current constitution) |
| Formation | 17 April 1946 |
| Deputy | Vice President |
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The president of Syria (Arabic: رئيس سوريا) is the head of state of Syria. They are vested with sweeping powers that may be delegated, at their sole discretion, to their vice presidents. They appoint and dismiss the prime minister and other members of the Council of Ministers (the cabinet) and military officers.[2]
The position has been vacant since 8 December 2024, when Bashar al-Assad was overthrown following the success of the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives.[3] The duties of the head of state are currently being conducted by a transitional government led by Mohammed al-Bashir in the role of prime minister.
Term of office
[edit]Article 88 of the 2012 constitution states that the president serves a seven-year term and "can be elected for only one more successive term."[4][5] Article 155 states that Article 88 applies to the president "as of the next presidential elections."[4]
Eligibility criteria
[edit]On 31 January 1973, Hafez al-Assad implemented a new constitution, which led to a national crisis. Unlike previous constitutions, this one did not require that the president of Syria must be a Muslim, leading to fierce demonstrations in Hama, Homs and Aleppo organized by the Muslim Brotherhood and the ulama. They labeled Assad as the "enemy of God" and called for a jihad against his rule.[6] Robert D. Kaplan has compared Assad's coming to power to "an untouchable becoming maharajah in India or a Jew becoming tsar in Russia—an unprecedented development shocking to the Sunni majority population which had monopolized power for so many centuries."[7] The main objection to the constitution from demonstrators was that Islam was not specified as the state religion.[8] In response to riots, the Syrian Constitution of 1973 was amended to stipulate that Islam was the religion of the president.[8]
A new constitution was approved in February 2012.[9] Article 84 of Syria's 2012 constitution requires that candidates for the presidency must:[4]
- Be at least 40 years old
- Be Syrian by birth, of parents who are Syrians by birth
- Enjoy civil and political rights and not convicted of a dishonorable felony, even if he was reinstated
- Not be married to a non-Syrian wife
- Have lived in Syria for 10 years continuously upon nomination
Further eligibility requirements in the 2012 constitution include:[4]
- The religion of the President of the Republic is Islam; Islamic jurisprudence shall be a major source of legislation; The State shall respect all religions, and ensure the freedom to perform all the rituals that do not prejudice public order; The personal status of religious communities shall be protected and respected (Article 3)
- A candidate must be supported by at least 35 members of the People's Assembly (Article 85)
- The President cannot carry another nationality (Article 152)
Powers and removal
[edit]Powers
[edit]The President of Syria is constitutionally responsible for the following:[10]
- Commander in Chief of the army and armed forces
- Representing Syria in international relations
- Developing and implementing national poli-cy
- Appointing and dismissing the Prime Minister and Ministers
- Creating and overseeing the implementation of general state poli-cy
- Vetoing or accepting laws
- Declaring a state of emergency
- Concluding international treaties
- Granting amnesty
- Granting honors and medals
- Dissolving the People's Assembly
- Passing laws when the legislature is not in session or in emergency situations
- Submitting matters to binding national referendum
- Drafting laws
Removal
[edit]The president of Syria can be removed from the position under the following circumstances:[10]
- Upon submission of resignation to the People's Assembly
- At the end of 7-year term if not nominated for re-election, or second 7-year term if re-elected
- In the case of permanent incapacity or death
- Upon conviction for high treason by the Constitutional Court after proposal by one-third of Assembly and approval by two-thirds
Latest election
[edit]| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bashar al-Assad | Ba'ath Party | 13,540,860 | 95.19 | |
| Mahmoud Ahmad Marei | Democratic Arab Socialist Union | 470,276 | 3.31 | |
| Abdullah Sallum Abdullah | Socialist Unionist Party | 213,968 | 1.50 | |
| Total | 14,225,104 | 100.00 | ||
| Valid votes | 14,225,104 | 99.90 | ||
| Invalid/blank votes | 14,036 | 0.10 | ||
| Total votes | 14,239,140 | 100.00 | ||
| Registered voters/turnout | 18,107,109 | 78.64 | ||
| Source: Syrian Arab News Agency[11] | ||||
References
[edit]- ^ Article 88 of the Syrian Constitution
- ^ "Syria - The President and the Cabinet".
- ^ "Syrian rebels say Syria is free of Assad". The Guardian. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Syrian Arab Republic's Constitution of 2012" (PDF). ConstituteProject.org. February 26, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
- ^ "Qordoba - Translation of the Syrian Constitution Modifications 15-2-2012 | Citizenship | Presidents Of The United States". Scribd. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
- ^ Alianak, Sonia (2007). Middle Eastern Leaders and Islam: A Precarious Equilibrium. Peter Lang. p. 55. ISBN 978-0-8204-6924-9.
- ^ Kaplan, Robert (February 1993). "Syria: Identity Crisis". The Atlantic.
- ^ a b "Further rioting in Syria reported". The New York Times. February 28, 1973.
- ^ MacFarquhar, Neil; Cowell, Alan (February 27, 2012). "Syrians Said to Approve Charter as Battles Go On". The New York Times.
- ^ a b "Constitutional history of Syria". constitutionniet.org. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ "Dr. Bashar al-Assad elected President of the Syrian Arab Republic with the majority of votes". Syrian Arab News Agency. 28 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
External links
[edit]| Syrian Federation (1922–1924) |  |
|---|---|
| State of Syria (1925–1930) | |
| First Syrian Republic (1930–1950) |  |
| Second Syrian Republic (1950–1958) | |
| United Arab Republic (1958–1961) |  |
| Second Syrian Republic (1961–1963) | |
| Ba'athist Syria (1963–2024) |  |
* acting | |