| Syria |
This article is part of the series: |
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Constitution
Executive
Legislature
Divisions
Elections
Foreign policy
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Other countries · Atlas |
| Syrian Arab Republic |
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This article is part of the series: |
| Text of the Constitution Arabic, English |
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| Preamble and Chapter 1 Basic Principles |
| Chapter 2 Powers of the State |
| Chapter 3 The Judicial Authority |
| Chapter 4 General and Transitory Provisions |
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Other countries · Law Portal |
The Constitution of Syria delineates the basic function of that state's government. Among other things, it determines Syria's character to be Arab, Socialist and republican. Further, in line with the official pan-Arabist ideology, it describes the country as a region of the wider Arab world.
Older versions of the Constitution include one drafted by Ibrahim Hananu and subsequent Provisional Constitution of 25 April 1964. The modern constitution, which has undergone only minor changes since its adoption in 1973, entrenches the power of the Baath party. Its §8 describes this organization as "the leading party in the society and the state", even if Syria is not, as is often believed, a single-party system in formal terms. Effective power in Syria rests with the President of the Republic (since 2000, Bashar al-Asad, reelected in 2007), who, according to §84 of the constitution, is elected in an uncontested popular referendum on the proposal of the Syrian branch of the Baath Party.
The constitution guarantees equal rights and opportunities under the law, supplemented by labor laws which guarantee equal pay and maternity benefits for women.[1]
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