Assad's heir pledges to continue Syrian anti-corruption drive

Ewen MacAskill in Damascus
Monday June 19, 2000
The Guardian

The Syrian government warned yesterday that it will pursue its campaign against the corruption endemic in its society when the 40-day period of mourning for the late president, Hafez al-Assad, ends.

The warning came as the president in waiting, Bashar al-Assad, consolidated his hold on power at the first meeting of the ruling Ba'ath party congress for 15 years. He was elected party general secretary yesterday - a post his father held for 30 years - and is expected to see his key supporters elected to strategic party jobs.

The congress, which is charged with finding a way to revitalise the country's stagnant economy, discussed a report yesterday on the massive corruption problems and their subsequent drain on public resources.

The anti-corruption drive being led by Bashar had been gathering momentum until the death of the president nine days ago; it had netted many senior politicians, the most prominent being Mahmoud Zoubi, who had been prime minis ter for 13 years until he retired in March.

Politicians and officials distort the economy by taking cuts from business contracts, and from extensive smuggling between Syria and the Lebanon. The amounts siphoned off run into millions of pounds; one unusually outspoken member of the Syrian parliament, Riad Seif, estimated yesterday that the "commission" taken on some public projects amounted to 30% of the projects' worth.

"It starts from the top," he said, though stressing he did not include the late president or Bashar, a view grudgingly shared on the street. Mr Riad blamed corruption at the top on greed and at the lower levels - among judges, policeman and other officials - on the very low salary scales.

The former prime minister, Zoubi, died last month while under investigation. The public view was that he was killed, but the Syrian government insisted he had committed suicide.

"The commander of police went to his house in the Dumor suburb where he was playing cards," a Syrian official said. "He was presented with a charge sheet saying that he had to present himself the next day for investigation. He went upstairs to his bedroom and shot himself. He was dead when he arrived in hospital."

The official claimed he had creamed off millions of pounds during his time in office. Others accused of corruption include Bashir al-Najar, the former head of Syrian intelligence; Mohammed Haider, the former deputy prime minister; and the former transport minister, Mufid Abdul Kerim.

For Bashar to engage in anything more than a token drive against corrupt officials will be risky. A confrontation with ministers, police and army commanders taking paybacks could spark a rival power bid, or even a coup attempt.

A serious anti-corruption programme may only be possible when, or if, he entrenches himself in power.

But, according to one well-placed source in Syria, Bashar has already won the all-important backing of Asif Shauket, the commander of the military secret police, who is one of the main powers in the land and is married to the heir apparent's sister.