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Syria Steps Up Reforms
DAMASCUS, Feb 7 (IslamOnline) - Syria said Tuesday it would revamp its government and several official institutions as part of a wide-scale reform drive under President Bashar al-Assad.
Changes are expected to take place within two weeks and would include about "one third of the governmental administration in all Syrian ministries," a presidential official told IslamOnline.
Authorities said that one of the reforms would allow private universities to be set up. Syria's official news agency, SANA, said the ruling Baath party had decided to let private or mixed universities as well as branches of Arab or international universities operate within the country. Currently, all universities in Syria are owned and run by the state.
The measures are part of reforms advocated by Assad, who came to power last July after the death of his father, former President Hafez al-Assad in June.
Syria's Baath government has been characterized as authoritarian, particularly under the elder Assad, with the government dealing harshly with any opposition. Thousands were believed killed in the 1982 crackdowns against the uprising of the Muslim Brotherhood in Hama.
The older Assad methodically formed a police state and often harshly muzzled voices of dissent. He banned any form of freedom of expression and his opponents faced persecution for the slightest expression of opposition.
Last year, Bashar, 34, released hundreds of political prisoners. The releases created an atmosphere of optimism in this country of 17 million. Bashar has repeatedly promised Syrians democracy and freedom, but his amnesty remains the most dramatic political gesture to date.
Scores of intellectuals and writers have called recently for the release of prisoners and asked for more political freedom.
Another measure, the "transformation movement," initiated Sunday with the impeachment of local governors in Damascus, and Tartous and al-Haskeh towns.
Officials say these changes are aimed at modernizing the state and launching new public policies marking Bashar's administration.
"Syria has never witnessed such a stressful period of deterioration," said an official who wished to remain unknown.
"Any reform in the old bureaucracy has became impossible, a blowing upheaval in the whole system is vital for the state," he added, asserting that changes are the only alternative.
As part of the reform effort, Bashar embarked on a wave of impeachments of senior officials in various institutions, and especially upon those who took advantage of their authoritative posts. The purge is meant to include all officials, even al-Baath Party members.
Given the scope of the reforms, observers are waiting to see if Syria will be able to maintain the stability it has held over the last 30 years.
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