Baathist Leadership “Weakened”

Cham Press, an online news website administrated by the Independent Media Group in Damascus, reported on December 2 that a senior Baath party official is advocating for a conference to fill gaps in the party's leadership. Mohammad Salih al-Hurmasi told Cham Press that the party had been weakened by the loss of several of top leaders, including its secretary-general, the late Syrian president Hafiz al-Asad.



Other leaders have also died, fallen ill or been dismissed, said Hurmasi.



"The current leadership is unable to fulfil its duties," he said. "Half the leaders are gone, and as a result the national leadership has lost its core."



Hurmasi noted that the party has not held a national conference since 1980.