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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 June 2000 Issue No. 486 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 June 2000 Issue No. 486
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters In the corridors of power
Very probably, Bashar Al-Assad will be elected to the position long occupied by his late father, Hafez Al-Assad. On 25 June, the Syrian parliament will initiate the actual process of bringing Bashar to power.Once at the helm, Bashar will have many concerns related to the domestic and regional political legacy of his father's 30-year rule, and the political and economic future of Syria in general.
At home, the new president will probably find many encouraging him to subscribe to a more modern style of politics -- specifically, a wider margin of democracy and closer observance of international human rights standards. Bashar himself, indeed, spoke in favour of such reform shortly before his father's death last Saturday.
In Syria, too, Bashar is likely to hear many voices calling for much-needed economic reform. The first step toward such reform -- and it may prove an inevitable one -- is a rapid peace settlement with Israel that will open the doors for economic aid from the West, particularly the US.
If Bashar faces unforeseen developments in the peace process, Syria will not be the only loser. Other regional powers, primarily the Arab nations, may have to compromise their long-term interests.
Clearly, Bashar Al-Assad must have the opportunity to make his decision on the peace process without having to think of the economic worries that, as he well knows, could spin Syria into a vicious circle of instability.
The wealthy Arab states could consider offering economic assistance; the Gulf Cooperation Council members could be particularly helpful in this respect, especially given their links to both Syria and Egypt under the umbrella of the Damascus Declaration.
Political support should also be made available for a new ruler who will most certainly be facing international as well as regional pressures. It is clearly Egypt's responsibility to close ranks with Syria at this crucial moment.
Still, such gestures of solidarity will not suffice to arrest the course of history. If Bashar decides to reverse the course of his father's Arab nationalist policies completely, perhaps Al-Assad's death will mark the end of the final chapter in the story of pan-Arabism.
