A (since 11 March 1984) head
of government: Prime Ministers Lt. Gen. Mustafa TALAS (since 11 March
1984), Farouk al-SHARA (since 13 December 2001), Dr. Muhammad al-HUSAYN
(since 13 December 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year
term; referendum/election last held 10 July 2000 - after the death of
President Hafez al-ASAD, father of Bashar al-ASAD - (next to be held NA
2007); vice presidents appointed by the president; prime minister and
deputy prime ministers appointed by the president note: Hafiz al-ASAD
died on 10 June 2000; on 20 June 2000, the Ba'th Party nominated Bashar
al-ASAD for president and presented his name to the People's Council
on 25 June 2000 election results: Bashar al-ASAD elected president;
percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD 97.29%

Legislative branch: unicameral People's Council or Majlis al-shaab
(250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
election results: NPF 167, independents 83; note - the constitution
guarantees that the Ba'th Party (part of the NPF alliance) receives
one-half of the seats elections: last held 30 November-1 December 1998
(next to be held NA 2002)

Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional Court (justices are appointed
for four-year terms by the president); High Judicial Council; Court of
Cassation; State Security Courts

Political parties and leaders: National Progressive Front or NPF
(includes the Ba'th Party, ASU, Arab Socialist Party, Socialist Unionist
Democratic Party, ASP, SCP) [President Bashar al-ASAD, chairman];
Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party (governing party) [President
Bashar al-ASAD, secretary general]; Syrian Arab Socialist Party or ASP
[Safwan KOUDSI]; Syrian Communist Party or SCP [Yusuf FAYSAL]; Syrian
Social National Party [Jubran URAYJI]

Political pressure groups and leaders: conservative religious leaders;
Muslim Brotherhood (operates in exile in Jordan and Yemen); non-Ba'th
parties have little effective political influence

International organization participation: AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC,
ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC,
OIC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Rustum
al-ZU'BI chancery: 2215 Wyomin