President of Syria
| President of the Syrian Arab Republic رئيس الجمهورية العربية السورية | |
|---|---|
Damascus, Syria | |
| Appointer | Popular vote |
| Term length | Seven years, renewable once |
| Formation | 17 April 1946 |
| Deputy | Vice President |
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The president of Syria (
Term of office
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."[3][4] Article 155 states that Article 88 applies to the president "as of the next presidential elections."[3]
Eligibility criteria
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.[5] 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."[6] The main objection to the constitution from demonstrators was that Islam was not specified as the state religion.[7] In response to riots, the Syrian Constitution of 1973 was amended to stipulate that Islam was the religion of the president.[7]
A new constitution was approved in February 2012.[8] Article 84 of Syria's 2012 constitution requires that candidates for the presidency must:[3]
- 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:[3]
- 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
Powers:[9]
- Commander in Chief of the army and armed forces
- Representing Syria in international relations
- Developing and implementing national policy
- Appointing and dismissing the Prime Minister and Ministers
- Creating and overseeing the implementation of general state policy
- 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[9]
- 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
List of presidents
Latest election
| 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[10] | ||||
References
- ^ Article 88 of the Syrian Constitution
- ^ "Syria - The President and the Cabinet".
- ^ 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 2007, p. 55.
- ^ 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
- President of Syria on Facebook
- President of Syria on Twitter