Moreover, the draft constitution proposed by russia suggests extension of the syrian parliaments powers so that it could declare war, impeach the. As such, any researcher or politician must account for the fact that the constitution of 1973 and the constitution. Islamic jurisprudence, however, is required to be a main source of legislation. Bashar was then nominated by the baath party and elected president in a popular referendum in library of congress federal research division country profile. Islamic provisions of constitution of 1973 on 7th april,1972 the national assembly of pakistan appointed a committee to prepare a draft of the permanent constitution of pakistan. The 1973 constitution defined syria as a secular socialist state with islam recognised as the majority religion. The syrian constitution 19732012 carnegie middle east. Syria is a country in the middle east, with a coastline at the eastern mediterranean sea. Drafting a modern constitution for syria syrian expert house.
Principles and general objectives of education article 33 of the decree law no. During this time, hafez alassad was elected syrias president, winning 99 percent of the vote. Full text of the new syrian draft constitution sputnik. There were explicit calls for an amendment to the 1973 constitution, which replaced a series of interim baathist constitutions. Earlier in the week, the draft syrian constitution, prepared by russian experts, was presented to the syrian opposition during the settlement talks in the capital of kazakhstan. Syria is an independent, free, pluralistic and sovereign republic.
The current constitution of the syrian arab republic was adopted on 26 february 2012. Essential features and changes occur in those featu. Syrian arab republics draft constitution of 2017 constitute. Article 8 was inserted into the syrian constitution exactly. The syrian constitution 19732012 carnegie middle east center.
The 1973 constitution, on the other hand, stated that it is the right of every. Peace and conflict monitor, causes and catalysts of the. The syrian arab republic, once the home of the ottoman empire, covers. The 1973 constitution, for example, calls for equality among all citizens and includes an article that obliges the state to remove all obstacles to womens advancement. Constitution of the syrian arab republic 1973, as amended. The first states that the syrian revolution was part of a larger arab revolution. Among other things, it determines syrias character to be arab, democratic, and republican. The present sixth edition of the constitution is distinctive as it. This constitution was adopted via a popular referendum and imposed the bath partys ideas and principles upon syrian society. Ask anybody in the syrian opposition or intelligentsia about political change in syria, and they would say that article 8 of the constitution needs to be removed immediately in order for people to.
Whereas the associated state of grenada has, by a resolution passed in. Syrian arab republic international bureau of education. War with israel 1973 october syria and egypt go to war with israel but fail to retake the golan heights. The situation for human rights in syria is considered egregiously poor among international observers. They cannot be removed from service before the end of their term except on the recommendation of the supreme judicial council. Security council resolution 2254 which calls for the drafting of a new constitution and u. Syria to vote on new constitution as violence continues. A bill to provide a constitution was introduced by the committee in the assembly on february 2, 1973.
Andrew england, syrias religious tolerance belies critics, financial times, september 15, 2008, accessed 1732012. After intense fighting, the syrians were repulsed in the golan heights. To improve the performance of our website, show the most relevant news products and targeted advertising, we collect technical impersonal information about you, including through the tools of our partners. E carrying out the elections in a free and tolerant. In the syrian constitution of 1973, alassad solidified the baath party control over the state and civil society. There is a republican majority in the house of representatives and a democrat majority in the senate, but there are divisions on the us response to syria both within and between the main parties.
Chapter 5 electoral law reform in syria syrian expert house. Syrian man holds a wounded turtledove injured in a bomb. The constitution does not define who the armenian people are. March 1973, a new syrian constitution went into effect followed shortly thereafter by parliamentary elections for the peoples council, the first such elections since 1962. A new constitution was adopted on march 1973 and was in use until 27 february 2012.
In addition the judges are paid respectable salaries. Upon the national heritage which promotes national unity, the cultural diversity of the syrian society will be ensured. While the mission considered broadly a number of issues related to the enjoyment of the right to health, the focus was on access to health care, services, goods and facilities for. Constitutional provisions on national and religious. Education shall be a right guaranteed by the state, and it is free at all levels. Constitution of the syrian arab republic, march 1973, accessed 1732012. This document is an english version of the syrian constitution adopted on march 1973. The syrian arab republic is proud of its arab identity and the fact that its people are an integral part of the arab nation. These include the rcc, the national assembly, the presidency, the council of ministers, or cabinet, and the judiciary.
Culture of syria history, people, clothing, traditions. Syria syrian arab republic country profile nations. The actual enumeration shall be made within three years after the fi rst meeting of the congress of the united states, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law direct. The constitution of 1973 is one of the instruments that laid the foundation for and imposed the legitimacy of the baath regime embodied by presidents. However, disagreement over syrian intervention in a civil war in jordan in september 1970 led to assads move against atassi and the progressives.
The previous version of the syrian constitution dates back from 1973 and. Belonging to the party became a means to receive the privileges of the state. Reese erlich, in syria, kurdish groups divided over taking up arms against assad, the atlantic, 20 october 2011, accessed 1832012. In march 1973, a permanent constitution was promulgated that concentrated. Constitution 1973 this document is an english version of the syrian constitution adopted on march 1973 syria constitution 1973. These 5 principles stress the unity of the arab world. Text of draft syrian constitution proposed by russia. The judicial system in syria is an amalgam of ottoman, french, and islamic laws, with three levels of courts. The syrian constitution of 1973 requires that the president be muslim but does not make islam the state religion. In 1973, hafez alassad formed a committee to draft a permanent constitution for the country.
Syrian constitution of 1930, syrian constitution of 1950, syrian constitution of 1953, constitution of the united arab republic, syrian provisional constitution of 1964, syrian provisional constitution of 1969, syrian constitution of 1973, constitution of syria. Constitutional provisions on national and religious identity. Text of draft syrian constitution proposed by russia revealed. The current constitution of the syrian arab republic was adopted on 26 february 2012, replacing one that had been in force since march 1973. The lack of a free public sphere makes it difficult for activists to oper ate, whether by. The constitution defines the powers and the functions of the different government institutions. According to the objectives resolution, a preconstitutional document that became a substantive part of the constitution, sovereignty over the entire universe. When the ties of its national cohesion weakened, its civilizing role receded and the waves of colonial conquest shattered the arab nation. If the president of the republic or a fifth of the members of the peoples assembly object to a law before it is passed, on the grounds of its unconstitutionality, it shall be suspended until the court rules on it within 15 days of the date of lodging the objection at the court. These calls focused on the abolition of article 8 of the constitution, which provides for the imposition of the. Sputnik has obtained a document of the draft syrian constitution proposed by the russian delegation during the astana talks. Syria is a member of the union of the arab republics. An approach to the syrian constitution from a democratic point of view 14.
The homelands freedom can only be preserved by its free citizens. Syria constitution syria constitution syria constitution. Islamic provision of 1973 constitution in urdu by sohail. Article 1 of the 1973 constitution of pakistan states that pakistan shall be known as the islamic republic of pakistan, while article 2 stipulates that islam is the state religion. The syrian uprising syrias struggling civil society. Government policies have also encouraged womens education and participation in the workforce. The 1973 constitution, for example, calls for equal ity among all citizens. A state of emergency was in effect from 1963 until april 2011, giving security forces sweeping powers of arrest and detention. Additionally, the 1973 constitution was made permanent, which essentially granted indefinite control of the state to the president and his party. The history of the syrian constitution ziadeh syrian. On october 6 1973, syria and egypt began the yom kippur war by staging a surprise attack against israel arabs call it the ramadan war or october war because syria and egypt.
Towards a new syrian constitution historic document is now. On 6 october 1973, syria and egypt initiated the yom kippur war by launching a surprise attack on israel. Further, in line with panarab ideology, it describes the country as a region. The syrian arab republic embodies this belonging in its national and panarab project and the work to support arab cooperation in order to promote integration and achieve the unity of. The syrian constitution 1973 2012 the previous version of the syrian constitution dates back from 1973 and has been valid up until february 2012 when the syrian government amended the text. The preamble of the armenian constitution says, the armenian people. When the ties of its national cohesion weakened, its civilizing role receded and the waves of colonial conquest shattered the arab nations unity, occupied its territory, and plundered its resources. The permanent syrian constitution of march, 1973 peter b. Education is a right guaranteed by the state, free at all stages, and. Between the collapse of the ottoman empire in 1916 and promulgation of a permanent constitution in 1973, syria adopted several constitutions, all reflecting an amalgam of west european chiefly french, arab, and islamic political cultures. It is bordered by iraq, israel, jordan, lebanon, and turkey, and it shares maritime borders with cyprus. The current constitution delineates the basic function of that states government.
The supreme constitutional court is charged with control over the constitutionality of the laws as follows. Islamic provisions of constitution of 1973 css forums. Constitution of the syrian arab republic 2012 preamble arab civilization, which is part of human heritage, has faced through its long history great challenges aimed at breaking its will and subjecting it to colonial domination, but it has always rose through its own creative abilities to exercise its role in building human. At the january 2324 syrian peace talks in astana, kazakhstan, russia proposed a draft to serve as a guide for the syrian constitution, outlining that it will be the syrians who draft the final version, taking into account proposals made by both the government and the opposition. Alassad also controlled the judicial system and created exceptional courts that operated under the emergency law. A syrian citizen marks a ballot paper with her blood at a polling station during a referendum on the new constitution, in damascus, syria, on sunday feb. Since then, a number of amendments have been made therein and it has become necessary and expedient that an uptodate and authentic version of the constitution be published by the assembly.
Syria has a population of 24 million people, capital city is. The constitution also requires the state to provide every citizen with employment and with free medical care. The syrian arab republic adopted its constitution on march 1973 3a. The new syrian constitution, drafted by russia and presented to opposition leaders, has been obtained by sputnik.
This body proposes laws, discusses cabinet programs, and approves the national budget. Syrian rebels or on military intervention in syria. The assembly passed the bill on 19th april, 1973 and at last the. The syrian constitution of 1973 was drafted under the strong guidance of assad, and was. The unicameral legislative branch is composed of the peoples council, or majlis al shaab, whose 195 members are elected for fouryear terms. Heller the latest major exercise in syrian constitution writing came to fruition on march, 1973, when a new charter, qualified as permanent, went into force following its approval by the peoples assembly on january 31 and by popular referendum on march 12. Syria constitution preamble the arab nation managed to perform a great role in building human civilization when it was a unified nation. Salient features of the constitution of 1973 of pakistan. Contents syrian arab republic princeton university. The syrian constitution of 1973 was drafted under the strong guidance of assad, and was the first arab constitution to adopt socialist nationalist principles. The constitution of 1973 stresses upon the establishment of an independent judiciary. A constitutional referendum was held in syria on 12 march 1973.
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