Promises that major internal reforms could be announced at a Baath Party conference, set to begin today in Damascus, have Syrians waiting to see whether democratic changes may finally be on the horizon after five years of stalled reforms. "Expectations are down," said Joshua Landis, a Syria expert who runs Syriacomment.com, a Weblog on Syrian affairs. "The president promised there was going to be a big leap. Everybody began hoping that this would be the break that would change the country and set it on a different course. Then the president was the leading person trying to bring down expectations."In an address to Parliament in March, Assad promised that the Baath Party Congress would be a "great turning point" for internal reforms in the country. Syria has since hastily withdrawn its military forces from Lebanon, a move that many believe has weakened its role in the region. But under mounting U.S. pressure over the last few months, many here have been hoping that the government would begin to concede some much-awaited internal reforms in order to strengthen itself internally.
The last Baath Party Congress in 2000 installed Bashar Assad as president after the death of his father, Hafez Assad. The congress, which takes place every five to six years, will not produce any immediate legislation, but is instead expected to begin dialogues on key reform issues. Four reports, one on foreign policy, internal policy, the economy and the organization of the party, are expected to form the foundation for discussions at the conference. Over the last month, rumors have abounded on the type of reforms that could be revealed. The president is scheduled to deliver the opening speech at the three-day congress.
The congress is expected to discuss decreasing the role of the Baath Party, which has been the ruling party since 1963, in government institutions and society. Article eight of the Constitution, which makes the Baath Party the leading party in the government, will not be eliminated. The Regional Command, which constitutes the party's leadership in Syria and currently has 21 members, is expected to be reduced to 15 and possibly renamed the "Syrian Command," according to Landis. With the weakening of the Baath Party, analysts expect Syria to move further away from its reliance on a pan-Arab ideology.