Government in Syria
The nation of Syria considers itself a republic and consists of an executive, legislative, and judicial branch of government. The executive branch consists of a presidents, two vice presidents, a prime minister, and a cabinet. Syria's legislative branch is governed by the People's Council, which is considered a dictatorship by most outsiders. The judicial branch includes the Supreme Court, the High Judicial Council, and the State Courts. Islamic law is almost entirely strictly followed by the judicial system and has many of its roots in ancient Islamic history. There are three different court levels in Syria: the courts of first instance, courts of appeals, and the highest court is the constitutional court.
In 1971 the nation adopted the Constitution of Syria which gave the Baath Party the majority of the leadership roles in the government. The Constitution allows presidents to serve 7-year terms as they are elected so by the people. The President is required to be a Muslim, but Islam is not considered a state religion. The president has the right to name ministers within the government and declare states of emergency or war.
In 1963 the Syrian government pass the Emergency Law which is still in effect and suspends most of the protections granted to Syrians under the Constitution. The government enacted this state of emergency due to the ongoing war with Israel.
The Baath Party members are in charge of the National Progressive Front, or NPF, which controls and influences much of the actions of the government. The NPF consists of the following six political parties: Arab Socialist Baath Party, Arab Socialist Union Party, Arab Socialist Party, Communist Party of Syria, Union Socialist Party, and Union Socialist Democratic Party. The NPF is in control of most of the two hundred and fifty seats that the legislative branch is comprised of.
