Politics, Economy and State Structure in Syria

Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic gained independence from France in April 1946. Officially a Republic, Syria has been governed since 1963 by the Baath Party. Syria's current president is Bashar al-Assad, son of Hafez al-Assad, who held office from 1970 until his death in 2000. Syria's constitution was adopted on 13 March 1971. It vests the Baath Party with leadership functions in the state and society. The president is approved by referendum for a 7-year term. The president also ser...

Politics, Economy and State Structure in Iran

Iran officially became an Islamic Republic on 1 April 1979, after the 1979 Revolution. The political system of the Islamic Republic is based on the 1979 Constitution. The system comprises several intricately connected governing bodies. The Supreme Leader of Iran is Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei while the president is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The Supreme Leader of Iran is responsible for delineation and supervision of the general policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran’s economy is a mixture...