SYRIA: American Style

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The ancient city of Damascus was gay with flags, regional costumes, colored electric lights, street dancing, fireworks. When Strongman Adib Shishekly appeared in his bulletproof Mercedes in the city's Liberation Square, 100,000 happy Syrians roared his praises. The double occasion: 1) first anniversary of his Arab Liberation Movement (the only political party allowed to function in Syria), and 2) bestowal of a new constitution upon this nation of 3,000,000.

That the constitution guarantees civil rights to the people, but is conferred upon them rather than written by their chosen representatives, is characteristic of the regime of a remarkable man, Brigadier Shishekly, a dictator who is shy, honest and levelheaded. The man behind Syria's weak parliamentary regime since 1949, and Syria's out-in-the-open dictator for the past 18 months, Shishekly regards himself as a kind of authoritarian trustee until the people can be "entrusted with power." The new constitution reflects his temperament as well as his views. Unlike Syria's previous constitutions, which were copied from the French and brought on parliamentary chaos, the new one is in the stable American style. It provides for three government branches—executive, legislative, judicial—with the five-year President as a strong chief executive. The President, not the unicameral legislature, may declare war, although he must have the consent of the Deputies to do so.

In the next few weeks Syrian voters (all men and women over 18) are expected to vote overwhelming approval of the new constitution. They will also be asked to choose a President from a group of candidates who must have Shishekly's approval. Nobody will have to wait until election day to guess the name of Syria's new President: Adib Shishekly.