The previous constitution of 2012 consolidated the authoritarian structure and centralized it under a highly powerful presidency. • In a new article 88, it limited the term of office for the president to seven years with a maximum of one re-election. However,
Bashar al-Assad is empowered to extend his mandate beyond this time-period as per article 87, which obliges the President to continue his rule "if no new head of state is elected". • Article 97 bestows the President with the authority to appoint and dismiss the
Prime Minister,
Council of Ministers and their deputies. • Article 100 grants
veto powers to the President to accept or reject laws passed by the legislature known as the
People's Assembly. • Article 101 charges President with the power to "pass decrees, decisions and orders". Article 113 also stipulates that the President has powers to bypass the People's Assembly to pass laws. • Article 103 entrusts the President with the power to declare or repeal a "
state of emergency" during a session with his
Council of Ministers. • Article 105 designates the President as "
Commander in Chief of the
army and
armed forces" who enjoys its "absolute authority" and directly oversees "all the decisions necessary to exercise this authority." These include "decisions regarding military power, declaring war and concluding peace agreements." (article 102) • "President of the Republic appoints civilian and military employees and ends their services." (Article 106) • "The President of the Republic concludes international treaties and agreements and revokes them." (Article 107) • Article 111 entitles the President to "dissolve the
People's Assembly" as per his orders. • Article 112 enables the President to propose legislation to the parliament. • Article 113 charges the President with the role of legislative authority if the parliament is not in session and also during the parliamentary sessions "if absolute necessity requires". • Article 114 allows the President to take quick, extraordinary measures if he determines the country to be in "grave danger" • President can establish "special bodies, councils and committees" which operate independently of the constitutional structures (Article 115) • "The President of the Council of Ministers, his deputies and ministers are responsible before the president." (Article 121) • Article 124 empowers the President to refer the Prime Minister and his
Council of Ministers to a court of law for civil or criminal offenses. An indictment results in their suspension, and may also be accompanied by dismissal if the President decides so. • "
Supreme Judicial Council is headed by the President of the Republic." (Article 133) • Article 141 sub-ordinates the
Supreme Constitutional Court to the President. == Criticism ==