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Assad's Son Nominated for Syrian Presidency
The ruling Baath Party on Sunday unanimously nominated Bashar Assad for president to succeed his father, Hafez Assad, who died after 30 years in power, officials said. Bashar, a 34-year-old eye doctor, had been groomed by Assad for six years for the post.
The nomination of Bashar was expected. It has to be approved formally by the rubber-stamp parliament, which is scheduled to meet on June 25. Once the parliament approves the candidate, a date will be set for national elections. No other candidate is expected to be nominated. Hours after Assad's death, the parliament amended the constitution to lower the minimum age for presidents to 34 - Bashar's age.
Assad, 69, who had been suffering from heart problems, died Saturday. His body will taken to a Damascus square Tuesday for people to pay their last respects, and a funeral will be held later in the day in his home village of Qardaha, 125 miles northwest of the capital, a government announcement said.
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