President of Syria

Head of state of the Syrian Arab Republic

For a list of officeholders, see List of presidents of Syria.

President of the Syrian Arab Republic

رئيس الجمهورية العربية السورية

Seal of the president of Syria

Incumbent
Vacant

since 8 December 2024

Executive branch of the Syrian Government
Style| Mr President
(informal)
His Excellency
(diplomatic)
Status|

* Head of state
* Commander-in-chief

Member of|

* Council of Ministers
* High Judicial Council

Residence| Presidential Palace
Tishreen 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; 78 years ago (1946-04-17)
Deputy| Vice President

Politics of Syria

Member State of the Arab League

* * *

Constitution

* Preamble and Chapter 1
* Chapter 2
* Chapter 3
* Chapter 4

Human rights

Executive

* President (list)

Bashar al-Assad
* Vice President

Najah al-Attar
* Prime Minister (list)

Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali
* Deputy Prime Minister

Vacant

Legislature

* People's Assembly

Speaker: Hammouda Sabbagh

Judiciary

* High Judicial Council
* Supreme Constitutional Court

Subdivisions

* Governorates
* Districts
* Subdistricts (Nahiyas)
* Villages

Elections

* Recent elections

* Presidential: 2007
* 2014
* 2021

* Parliamentary: 2016
* 2020
* 2024

* Political parties

National Progressive Front

Popular Front for Change and Liberation

Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party (Syrian branch)

Foreign relations

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates

Minister: Faisal Mekdad

* * *

* Diplomatic missions of / in Syria

* * *

* Syrian nationality law
* Passport
* Visa requirements
* Visa policy

* * *

* UN resolutions on Syria
* Status of the Golan Heights
* Syrian civil war

Asia portal History portal

* Other countries

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The president of Syria (Arabic: رئيس سوريا), officially the president of the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic: رئيس الجمهورية العربية السورية), is the head of state of the Syrian Arab Republic. 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 the previous president, Bashar al-Assad, had his rule end following the success of the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives.[3]

## 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]

1. Be at least 40 years old
2. Be Syrian by birth, of parents who are Syrians by birth
3. Enjoy civil and political rights and not convicted of a dishonorable felony, even if he was reinstated
4. Not be married to a non-Syrian wife
5. 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 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

[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]

Main article: 2021 Syrian presidential 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[11]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Article 88 of the Syrian Constitution
2. ^ "Syria - The President and the Cabinet".
3. ^ "Syrian rebels say Syria is free of Assad". The Guardian. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
4. ^ a b c d "Syrian Arab Republic's Constitution of 2012" (PDF). ConstituteProject.org. February 26, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
5. ^ "Qordoba - Translation of the Syrian Constitution Modifications 15-2-2012 | Citizenship | Presidents Of The United States". Scribd. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
6. ^ Alianak 2007, p. 55. sfn error: no target: CITEREFAlianak2007 (help)
7. ^ Kaplan, Robert (February 1993). "Syria: Identity Crisis". The Atlantic.
8. ^ a b "Further rioting in Syria reported". The New York Times. February 28, 1973.
9. ^ MacFarquhar, Neil; Cowell, Alan (February 27, 2012). "Syrians Said to Approve Charter as Battles Go On". The New York Times.
10. ^ a b "Constitutional history of Syria". constitutionniet.org. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
11. ^ "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]

* President of Syria on Facebook
* President of Syria on Twitter

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Syria articles

History|

* Timeline
* Years in Syria

Prehistorical Syria|

* Levantine corridor
* Natufian culture
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Ancient Syria|

* Amorites
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Medieval Syria|

* Muslim conquest (636)
* Caliphal Syria (Bilad al-Sham)
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* Mamluk Syria (1260–1516)

Early modern Syria|

* Ottoman Syria (1516–1918)

Modern Syria|

* Arab kingdom (1920)
* Haj Fadel Government
* French Mandate
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* State of Syria (1925–30)
* Mandatory Republic (1930–46)
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Geography|

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Features|

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Related|

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Presidents of Syria (list)

Syrian Federation
(1922–1924)|

Syrian Federation

* Barakat

State of Syria
(1925–1930)|

State of Syria

* Barakat
* Pierre-Alype*
* Nami
* al-Hasani*

First Syrian Republic
(1930–1950)|

First Syrian Republic

* al-Hasani*
* Solomiac*
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* al-Hasani
* al-Ulshi*
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* H. al-Atassi

Second Syrian Republic
(1950–1958)|

First Syrian Republic

* H. al-Atassi
* Shishakli*
* Selu
* Shishakli
* al-Kuzbari*
* H. al-Atassi
* al-Quwatli

United Arab Republic
(1958–1961)|

United Arab Republic

* Nasser

Syrian Arab Republic
(1961–present)|

Syrian Arab Republic

* al-Kuzbari*
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* al-Qudsi
* L. al-Atassi
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* N. al-Atassi
* al-Khatib*
* H. al-Assad
* Khaddam*
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