April 13, 2011 – Syria in the News: A Roundup of International Reportage

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Syria’s Protest Movement

Over the course of the last week, the Syrian government announced a number of reforms intended in part to appease the country’s Sunni Muslim majority.

On Wednesday, it lifted a ban imposed less than a year ago on niqab-wearing teachers. The niqab was controversially banned in the classroom last summer under the premise that displays of religious conservatism ran counter to government efforts to protect secularism in Syria. Though it affected a small number of people (estimated at around 1,200), it was a move that angered many – so much so, that recent demonstrations in Baniyas specifically called for a lifting of the ban. For more information on the original decision to ban the niqab, see here and here. 

The government also officially announced that it was closing the country’s only casino, the Ocean Club, which is located outside of Damascus near the airport. As gambling in Syria is prohibited by national legislation, the move to open the casino was poorly received by the country’s more conservative elements. Pressure to close the facility had been mounting months prior to the unrest here and as a result, the club’s gaming tables were impounded well over a month ago. Yet, as the government’s reversal of policy was politically embarrassing before the onslaught of the unrest here, the move had not yet been announced. Phil Sands, one of the few foreign journalists still working here, wrote about the closure of the casino as well as the lifting of the niqab ban for The National last week.  
 
On Thursday, the President issued Decree 49 that granted citizenship rights to thousands of Syrian Kurds who have been registered as foreigners in Syria since a 1962 census in the governorate of Hassakeh arbitrarily stripped them of their citizenship. The survey claimed that because some Syrian Kurds had fled from Turkey to Syria decades earlier, they were not actually Syrian citizens. Decree 49 is expected to impact around an estimated 100,000 though another 150,000 Kurds remain outside of the system. If and how the government will address that issue is not yet clear. Later that day, the President also sacked the governor of Homs, Iyad Ghazaleh. 
 
Amid all such announcements of significant government reform, hundreds of protestors took to the streets in the suburbs around Damascus in an effort to raise awareness of the after-prayers protests planned for the following day. Douma, the scene of serious violence the week before, was overtaken by protestors who had come from around the country to pay their respects for those who were killed days earlier. Security was high around the perimeters and entry points into the city – but apparently conspicuously absent from the gathering. 
 
Friday was the most significant and indeed the biggest day of demonstrations thus far in Syria. Thousands came out in cities across the country to call for reform. The largest of the demonstrations were in Lattakia, Homs, Tartous, Banias, Daraa, Damascus, and Idlib in in the northwest. In Harasta, a Damascus suburb, there were reports of gunfire and rumors that three people were shot and killed and another 12 injured. Two more people reportedly died in protests in Homs. 
 
Despite the government’s concessions to the Syrian Kurdish population only the day before, Kurds in the country’s east carried out demonstrations on Friday – a strong indication that government reform efforts thus far, are not succeeding in bringing about the desired return to calm.  
 
International reports of violence during Friday’s after-prayers rallies put the death toll at 37 with the worst of the day’s violence happening in Daraa where according to some sources, at least 27 stone-throwing protestors were shot and killed with rubber-coated bullets and live ammunition. According to local media, 75 members of government security forces were injured and another 19 were killed. Official sources blame “armed groups which used live ammunition” for the violence. 
 
In a significant turn of events, on Saturday morning SANA published a statement from the Ministry on Interior, warning citizens to bring an end to their demonstrations. The statement took a somewhat exasperated tone, pointing out that the government was working to respond to the demands of protestors but that some “spiteful individuals, outsiders and those who were compelled by known foreign parties, accompanied by blatant instigation by satellite channels and internet sites” were nevertheless continuing to provoke unrest. Critically, the Ministry then stated that “there is no more room for leniency or tolerance in enforcing law, preserving security of country and citizens and protecting general order under the pretext of demonstration”. 
 
The same day, Samira al-Masalmeh the editor of government-owned newspaper Tishreen, confirmed that she was fired following critical remarks she made on Al Jazeera regarding the use of live ammunition against protestors by the government’s security forces. 
 
In Daraa, there was more violence as security forces were rumored to have shot at participants in mass funerals. US President Barack Obama responded to news of the violence in Syria with a statement condemning Friday’s crackdown as “abhorrent.”
 
On Sunday, there were a number of killings in Baniyas. According to local media, nine people were killed – including two officers – when armed groups ambushed an armed forces unit as it passed through Baniyas on its way to Lattakia. A number of international sources stated that between four people were killed when individuals holding sticks and protecting a local mosque, were fired upon by in passing vehicles. Others claim that armed gangs were responsible for the violence and though theories abound regarding the membership and motivations of the gangs, there is a critical dearth of reliable information. 
 
Later Sunday evening, protestors in Daraa staged a sit-in as most schools and government buildings ceased to operate. Mourners in Douma also took to the streets. The National Organisation for Human rights now as well as the “Damascus Declaration,” a statement signed by important Syrian opposition figures and submitted to the Arab League, both place the official death toll since the start of the unrest here at over 200. 
 
In response to the violence in Baniyas over the weekend and on Sunday, the army was deployed to the coastal city on Monday morning and 22 people were arrested while funerals for the people killed on Sunday were carried out. Importantly, events in Baniyas over the last four days have been difficult for media sources to confirm as internet access, electricity and telephones were cut over much of the city. According to some in the international media, on Monday, shooting could still be heard in the Al-Nabe’a district of Baniyas. Further, as residents of the nearby village of Bayda had reportedly provided refuge for protestors trying to escape from Baniyas and were likewise allegedly planning a protest themselves, international reports state they were soon overtaken by security forces. According to the New York Times, homes were raided by security forces with residents taken out to the streets and beaten. 
 
Meanwhile in Damascus, a small group of about 200 students came out to protest in front of the College of Sciences, University of Damascus. International reports suggest that the catalyst for the demonstration was the assault on veiled university students by policemen. The attack on the female students was portrayed quite differently by state media. Others suggest that the protests were not related to the attacks. The demonstration was dispersed by security forces and one student was reportedly beaten to death. Local media, however, strongly deny reports of the killing. 
 
The National Progressive Front (NPF), a coalition of Syria’s political parties with a central role in Baath Party leadership, issued a statement on Monday indicating that “nowadays, Syria is confronting serious challenges by foreign conspiracies and pressures which aim at benefiting from the changes taking place in the region to serve their hostile plots and undermine Syria’s national and principled stances towards supporting resistance against hegemonic interests and Israeli expansion policies.” The statement distinguished between Syrian citizens desirous of reform and “their legitimate demands” and the actions of “trained and funded conspiracy figures with the aim of undermining Syria’s reputation and weakening its pan-Arab and national stances.” The NPF again attributed recent violence to “subversive gangs that were provoked to kill citizens and security personnel…in an attempt to create chaos.” 
 
British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Italian Foreign Secretary Franco Frattini met in London on Monday and later called on President Bashar al-Assad “to respect the right to free speech and to peaceful protest” noting that the government here must implement “meaningful political reform which is the only legitimate response to demands from the Syrian people.” 
 
US State Department spokesman Mark Toner expressed frustration similar to that heard all over Syria and throughout the international media, stating that the US government does not “have very credible information coming from Syria…It’s very hard to get a clear picture about what’s going on on the ground.” He went on to “condemn the violence that we have been able to hear about against peaceful protestors by the Syrian authorities.” 
 
On Tuesday, the heads of Damascus’s Christian churches issued a statement that said that in light of recent events in Syria and in honor of the people who died as a result of them, “Easter celebrations will be only limited to prayers and religious rites in churches.” 
 
Disturbing reports also emerged on Tuesday, suggesting that civilians injured in violence during protests are not being permitted to seek medical assistance. Human Rights Watch is among the international organizations making this claim. However, local media responded to those accusations today April 13, stating all such reports were “completely false” and that “armed men” from local villages and towns were responsible for blocking entry into hospitals and stopping ambulances en route to hospitals.   
 
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney made a statement expressing that the US government is “deeply concerned by reports that Syrians who have been wounded by their government are being denied access to medical care.” Carney’s statement went on to say that “(t)he escalating repression by the Syrian government is outrageous, and the United States strongly condemns the continued efforts to suppress peaceful protesters.”
 
On Tuesday night, international media reported that the city of Baniyas was again under attack by security forces. Reports of who is responsible for the violence in Baniyas and indeed in all of the hotspots here in Syria, remain conflictual, though a particular group has been repeatedly blamed. Additionally, an estimated 600 Kurds organized a peaceful hour-long demonstration in Ayn al-Arab, a northern village, to call for the release of political prisoners and further reforms. International media also report that intense gunfire could be heard in Bayda Tuesday night.
 
As violence becomes the principle means of managing the unrest here, anger levels amongst average citizens are clearly rising. International media and analysts consistently emphasize that the situation here runs the risk of spiraling into deeper violent unrest, as those who initially had no desire for revolutionary-style protests in Syria, become enraged by the rising death toll of unarmed civilians. 
 
Further reading:
 
“Protests on the Rise Again in Syria” – a report from Jadaliyya Affiliate in Damascus – a particularly insightful assessment of the complexity of the situation here, written after the protests on Friday April 8. 
 
“Syria’s President Assad: Why is Anyone Surprised?” – a statement by former Canadian Ambassador to Syria, Brian J. Davis, for Syria Comment.
 
“Syria’s Race Against the Clock,” Foreign Policy – an assessment of the choices the government and Syrian people will be forced to make in the coming days, weeks and months. 
 
“Prisoner of Damascus,” New York Times – an opinion piece by Yassin al-Haj Saleh.
 
“The Shameful Arab Silence on Syria,” The Daily Star – an assessment of the reluctance of Arab satellite TV stations to cover the unrest in Syria. 
 
“Political Turmoil in Syria Resonates in Golan,” Associated Press – report exploring the reactions of people living under Israeli occupation to strife in Syria. 
 
“Protests in Syria: A Cycle of Violence May Take Hold,” The Economist  – an unsettling assessment of the prospects for future violence in Syria.
 
“Factbox: Syrian President Assad’s Emboldened Opponents,” Reuters – a backgrounder on members of Syrian opposition groups.  
 
Now, for the remainder of the weekly international news roundup.
 
Politics & Diplomacy
 
Last Wednesday, President al-Assad held a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, during which Davutoglu expressed Turkey’s strong support for all of the Syrian government’s reform efforts and its willingness to help in whatever way possible, the expediting of further reforms. The same day, the President also received a phone call from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev who likewise expressed his support for the reform process in Syria. 
 
On April 9, Michael Aoun, the Lebanese MP and head of the Change and Reform bloc, described relations between Syria and Lebanon as “excellent” and stated that both sides were cooperating on shared security issues. Two days later, a number of Syrian expats in Russia gathered in the country’s capital to express their support for the Syrian regime. 
 
The President met with Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov on Sunday to discuss recent unrest in Syria. During the meeting, Mladenov encouraged further reform in Syria and emphasized the importance of maintaining the country’s stability. President Assad made clear that Syria is “on a course of comprehensive reform.”
 
On Monday, the President received a letter from Jordan’s King Abdullah II on the topic of unrest throughout the Middle East and relations between Jordan and Syria. The letter expressed the King’s desire to maintain strong and cooperative relations between the two countries. The letter was delivered to the President in the context of related meetings between high-level Jordanian and Syrian officials aimed at discussing their bilateral relations. The same day, Mohammed Khaddour was sworn in as the Syrian ambassador to Australia.
 
In the last 8 days, a number of countries around the world have also came forward with travel warnings for citizens in, or considering traveling to, Syria – including Korea, Australia and the United Kingdom. 
 
Economic Development & Trade
 
On Wednesday April 6, two international exhibitions were kicked off in Syria: the International Industrial Equipment and Machinery Exhibition  and the International Exhibition for Veterinary Products and Livestock Supplies.

April 6, 2011 – Syria in the News: A Roundup of International Reportage

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Highlight

Fraught with troubles, the events of last week were significant as they suggest that recent unrest in Syria is unlikely to come to an end in the near future. 

On Wednesday,  President Bashar al-Assad made an address to the nation that attributed recent violence to the actions of “conspirators” and left many key questions with regard to government reforms unanswered.  

After his address, a number of cities around the country were soon the scenes of further “angry” protests, including in Daraa and Lattakia – where reports suggest that protestors were fired upon.

The UK’s Foreign Secretary William Hague was quick to respond to the events by expressing that he was “deeply concerned” by the violence and that he “strongly” encouraged the government to respond by moving forward with reform.

Perhaps in an effort to address concerns about the absence of clear detail in the President’s speech on the 30th, the government announced on Thursday a number of more specific government plans for possible reform and for investigating the deaths in Daraa and Lattakia – among them, the creation of a committee to analyze approaches to protecting the security of the population (i.e. the emergency law) and another to consider the possibilities of extending citizenship rights to the country’s large Kurdish population. For details on all of such announcements, follow this link. The international media’s response to announcements of potential reforms here was largely skeptical.

On Friday, many protestors came out in cities across the country following morning prayers. While the locations in which protests occurred increased, the actual numbers of participants were smaller than hoped for by activists. Lattakia and Daraa had the largest showings and violence ensued in a number of locations – Douma, Damascus and the aforementioned cities among them. Deaths were reported in Damascus, Douma, Daraa, and Lattakia, among others. While local media reported that “armed gangs” were responsible for the shootings and fatalities in Douma, Homs, Daraa and Lattakia, international media reported a very different story – particularly with respect to Lattakia. Internationally and locally, there is increasing concern about the possibility of sectarianism motivating current and future violence in Syria.

In one of the more interesting bits of international coverage of the situation that encapsulates the international media’s struggle to report on what is happening here in Syria, Al Jazeera reporters walked the streets of Damascus’s Old City dressed as tourists in an effort to observe Friday’s protests. Unsurprisingly, their mission was abruptly halted by security.  For more on the day’s events, see here.

On Saturday morning, media reported that police raided homes across the country in search of suspected dissidents. Large numbers were detained. Protests continued throughout the day – particularly in Douma, where hundreds gathered to chant “Freedom.”

President Assad issued a decree on Sunday that tasked Adel Safar, the previous adminstration’s agricultural minister, with forming the country’s new cabinet and on Monday, he appointed Mohammad Khaled al-Hannusa the new governor in Daraa. The same day, a group on Facebook termed the week the “Week of Martyrs” and called for more protests around the country on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  Khaled al-Hariri, a Reuters photographer based in Syria, was also released from prison following six days of detention as was Suhair Atassi, a rights activist detained during a protest weeks earlier.

On Tuesday, two police were shot dead near Douma (for reasons unknown at this time) and the government suspended upcoming football matches – a move likely intended to reduce the risk of more protests. Wissam Tarif, the executive director of Insan, a rights group, also increased the group’s estimate of the total number of fatalities here in recent unrest to 173 people. 

Analysis of the recent unrest here in Syria put forth by the international media continues to vary widely. Some examples:

In a Los Angeles Times article, analyst at the Carnegie Middle East Center, Lahcen Achy, attributes the protests to anger over “economic hardship” noting that though the country has experienced a strong economic growth rate of five percent over the preceding same number of years, five key issues detract from its progress: 

1) rapid population growth (estimated at 2.5% annually) and the corresponding entrance of a quarter of a million new job-seekers into the locally economy – which only creates about 20,000 new jobs a year; 

2) droughts that have ravaged agricultural output leading to a 25 percent decline production (approximately 20 percent of both the work force and the GDP are derived from the agricultural industry) which in turn, has prompted more of the rural poor to migrate to urban areas where they struggle to find employment; 

3) a private sector dominated by big businesses all connected to the government, a large informal economy that has developed in response to oppressive bureaucracy, corruption, and limited access to the capital required to start businesses (interestingly, the author cites a statistic from the World Bank 2010 Doing Business survey that ranked Syria 181 out of 183 countries in its assessment of credit accessibility – however, the same report in 2011 shows some improvement – putting Syria at 168 out of 183);

4) a drop in oil revenues (from around 14 percent GDP ten years ago, to only about four percent in 2010) and a resulting cut in government social spending – noting that the government has not been able to use tax revenues to offset costs, and;

5) a stark increase in income inequality – while average monthly wages increased over 20 percent in the three years between 2006 and 2009, gains were effectively eliminated by rising inflation and those with higher levels of education experienced more wage increases than those with less – but, an estimated 60 percent of the labor force can be categorized as having achieved only low levels of education.

Robert Baer, a former CIA operative and a well-known political commentator in the US known for his alarmist take on Iran’s engagements in the Middle East, offered up a different take on events here and enunciated a bleak view of the underlying motivations for the government’s ‘managing’ of the unrest as well as of the probable outcome (both domestically and internationally) of an increase in violence. 

Similarly, in an article for The Independent, Robert Fisk maintained that Syria is “a hard, tough country” and that the people here “do not obey the rules” and “follow the other Arabs like sheep” – and noted that Daraa has always been home to the “rebellious”. Regarding the unrest here, Fisk employed lines of reasoning similar in part to both Baer and Achy (i.e. religion and economics, respectively) to put forth his interpretation of events here yet he also highlighted the fact that in his view, Syria has always been a “unitary” nation – and one that is of essential importance to the diplomatic maneuverings of the west. The article makes for an interesting read. 

Meanwhile, Foreign Policy published an article “The Syrian Time Bomb” by Patrick Seale that argues that events in Syria could spell the country’s implosion – as well as that of the entire region. 

The US government continues to seem unsure of how to respond to or interpret events in Syria. Obama’s new policy of increased engagement with Damascus has yet to bear results – and many view his administration’s recent foreign policy as plagued with hypocrisy. Relatedly, in one of the week’s more diplomatically comical events, the White House announced that the US will seek a second term on the UN’s Human Right’s Council – an effort to stifle Damascus’ plans to continue bidding for the same seat. 

Now, for the remainder of the weekly international news roundup.

Politics & Diplomacy

On Wednesday March 30, reports emerged that Hamas was kicked out of Syria, however all such claims are heavily disputed by Ezzat al-Rashq, a member of the group’s political bureau. 

The President received a number of calls and letters throughout the week from those expressing their strong political support for him and the government – among them, the Emir of Qatar, the Omar Hasan al-Bashir, the President of Sudan and President of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Local press also reported that Syrian communities abroad, including those in Venezuela, Romania and Argentina, rallied on Monday in support of the government. 

Today April 6, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu arrived in Damascus to meet with the President and the Foreign Minister to discuss event in Syria as well as the region at large. 

Energy & Water

Syria is set to receive 30m Kuwaiti dinars (108m USD) and 375m Saudi riyals (100m USD) from the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, to help finance a power project in the country’s eastern province of Deir ez-Zor. The loan will be formally signed during meetings running April 6 through 7 in Damascus. During the meetings, officials will also discuss the possibility of financing a project in Hassakeh that will redirect water from the Tigris River.

On Monday, the 4th Syrian International Power and Electricity Exhibition (SYRPOWER 2011) started in Damascus. Participants include a number of foreign companies working in the Syrian energy sector. One of the event’s key aims is the exchange of new ideas between Syrian and international power companies.

Economic Development & Trade

On Sunday April 3, there was a joint Syrian-Iranian workshop in Damascus to discuss opportunities for collaboration between the two countries on the manufacturing of nanotechnologies. Of particular relevance to both sides, is the practical application of such technologies towards efforts to solve issues of water shortages and drought. 

The same day, Deputy Telecommunications Minister Mohammad al-Jalali announced that Qatar Telecom QSC and Saudi Telecom Co. (STC) were still in the running for the third mobile license here in Syria. For more information, see this link. 

The 7th International Dentistry Forum started on Tuesday April 5 in Aleppo. The forum aims to bring together regional scientists and professionals to discuss advances in techniques, research and technology. 

March 29, 2011 – Syria in the News: A Roundup of International Reportage

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Highlight

The past week marked a critical turning point for Syria – a reality lost on neither Syrians nor the international community. Turbulence in the country was again among the primary foci of international news and analysis. 

Below, is a synthesis of events and corresponding international media reportage. For a complete timeline of the unrest here, follow  this link .
 
Early in the morning on Wednesday the 23rd, reports emerged of serious violence at Daraa’s historic Omari mosque. International media maintained that the city’s protestors had sought refuge in the mosque to treat civilians injured in earlier protests, when local security forces stormed the building, opening fire on the people inside, killing six – including a doctor and a nurse. Local media report a different story, stating that armed gangs attacked an ambulance parked in front of the mosque thus prompting security forces to intervene. According to media here, four people died in the resulting violence. Wednesday afternoon likely marked the peak of the recent violence here in Syria, when thousands of members of the communities surrounding Daraa (including Inkhil, Khirbat al-Ghazalah, Harrah and Jasim) marched to the besieged city in a show of support for its citizens, only to be fired on by security forces. Reports of the total number of deaths during the day’s protests ranged enormously – from 37 to upwards of 100 – and prompted a number human rights and international organizations to speak out against the violence, including Amnesty International.
 
Daraa remained in the throes of unrest on Thursday when more than 20,000 people marched in funerals held for victims of the previous day’s protests. Reports indicate that the military’s presence in and around the city was strong and the White House issued a statement condemning the violence here. At the same time, President Bashar al-Assad’s media adviser Bouthaina Shaaban announced a number of reforms, most significant among them – the President’s willingness to consider lifting the 1963 emergency law. Shaaban also stated that “there were some mistakes” in dealing with the unrest in Daraa. Importantly, there were no additional reports of significant violence in Daraa or elsewhere in Syria that day.
 
Friday was termed the ‘Friday of Dignity’ by protestors and organized rallies surfaced in a host of cities across the country, including Damascus, Homs, Lattakia and Aleppo. In Sanamein, a city close to Daraa, reports emerged of serious violence resulting in the deaths of between 10 and 20. While foreign media report that those killed were protestors, local media states that the dead were members of an armed gang who waged an attack on a nearby army base. At the same time, thousands of government supporters took to the streets throughout Damascus, on foot and in cars, in a show of support for the President. Interestingly, hundreds of people formed a rally in front of Al Jazeera’s headquarters in Syria to protest against the agency’s coverage of the unrest here. They argued that the network’s coverage of the situation overlooked the reality of widespread support for the President. Meanwhile, unrest in Lattakia took a disturbing turn as reports emerged of a number of deaths of protestors in the city. In Daraa, protestors attempting to destroy a statue of former President Hafez al-Assad were also on the receiving end of live fire – thus leading to further deaths. Importantly, however, protestors outside of Daraa never exceeded the hundreds anywhere and local media declared that the events were indeed gatherings to advocate for the speedy implementation of reforms as well as a reduction in local corruption.   
 
On Saturday, protests carried on in several cities around the country and troubling reports emerged indicating that there were a  large number of deaths during the day’s protests in Lattakia. Among the fatalities, were members of the local police force. Authorities asserted that armed gangs were responsible for unrest in the city while members of the international media – which is almost entirely banned here – struggled to obtain further information to shed light on the situation. Some reported that by the 26th, the death toll from the unrest here had reached 126. However, there was and remains no consensus on the number of fatalities incurred during any of the protests in Syria. The government also announced the release of approximately 260 political prisoners – a move interpreted as an effort to appease local protestors. In response to the violence, the UN human rights chief made a statement warning Syrian authorities that repression of protestors would likely result in further violence. 
 
Sunday March 27 marked a shift in the focal point of the protests from Daraa, where protestors held a sit-in in Omari mosque, to Lattakia where the government deployed military forces in an effort to control violence and unrest. International and local media reports offered widely divergent reports regarding who was responsible for the mayhem in Lattakia. Thus, while some foreign media (namely Al Jazeera), claimed that the violence was largely the result of government actions to suppress the protest movement, local media maintained that violence had its origin in the destructive activities of foreign elements and criminal gangs. Locals also received text messages from the Interior Ministry thanking them for their support of the government while also encouraging them to stay home Sunday night as pro-reform protestors were allegedly planning a rally in Damascus. Though more security checkpoints were imposed in Daraa, other cities in Syria showed few signs of unrest and in an interview with Al Jazeera, Shaaban stated that the emergency law, which has been in place in Syria since 1963, would be lifted.  Further, parliament member Mohammed Habash noted the possibility of further government concessions. However, amid all such discussion of reform, the government nevertheless expelled Reuter’s Damascus-based correspondent, Khaled Yacoub Oweis, on the grounds of “unprofessional and false” reporting. At the same time, President Assad received phone calls on Sunday from the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Issa al- Khalifa, Iraqi President Jalal al-Talabani, and the Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who each expressed their strong support for Syria during the current tumultuous times. 
 
On Monday, protestors returned to the streets of Daraa but were quickly dispersed by security forces. International media also reported that snipers could be seen from the city’s rooftops. Lebanese reporters apparently detained over the weekend were also released while local and international media reported that Lattakia remained plagued with violence. Further, London-based Human Rights Watch called on the Syrian government to hold those responsible for any unlawful shooting to account while Amnesty International issued an appeal to the government to officially lift the 1963 emergency law. However, throughout the unrest here, those assigned the blame for the violence differ according to source. 
 
On Tuesday, powerful scenes emerged from Damascus as what appeared to be nearly a million Syrians took to the streets at the start of the day to show their support for President Assad. While the international media collectively interpreted the event as a sign of the government’s coercive powers, the sheer numbers of people – and the volume of their chants in support of the government – suggest that interests and allegiances here are complicated and less understood by the international community than foreign media suggests. 
 
In critically important news, Al Jazeera reported on Tuesday morning that a high-ranking Syrian official informed the network that the President accepted the resignation of the cabinet and would make an address to the nation within 48 hours to detail his plan for reform. Expectations here are high as Syrians await his speech. 
 
Foreign governments have interpreted the events here through the lens of their respective strategic interests and for obvious reasons that has made resulting international reportage on the situation interesting to follow. For example, some centrists and conservatives in the US have channeled reports of violence here into their longstanding stance against the Syrian government and for hostile actions against this country. The Obama administration, however, has condemned the violence but also made it rather clear that it has no intention of responding with military action. Indeed, Obama has recently made some efforts to open up lines of communication between Damascus and Washington – particularly with his appointment of Ambassador Ford in January. Others in the US (as well as in the UK) argued that what matters is not violence in Syria, nor the outcome of pro-democracy movements in the Middle East but, the status of the Iran versus Saudi battle for regional influence. Turkish officials, on the other hand, have been working hard to strengthen their economic and political relations with Syria among much else, and thus have expressed their concern for the situation and support for serious reform, while stopping short of vitriol. Iran’s silence is almost deafening. 
 
While much of the past week’s international commentary on the unrest here in Syria carried a strong tone of condemnation, one of the more inflammatory articles was a piece published in The Washington Post: “Ridding Syria of a Despot.” Additional international media highlights not referenced to above include: New York Times –  “Syria Tries to Ease Deep Political Crisis“; The Economist – “Syria’s Unrest: A Bloody Mess“; Radio Free Europe  –  “Syria’s Assad, On the Ropes, Finds Friends in Strange Places“;The Washington Institute for Near East Policy –  “It’s Time Bashar Followed Through on His Word,” and; BBC –  “Syria Protests: How Secure is President Assad?” 
 
Now, for the remainder of the weekly international news roundup.
 
Politics & Diplomacy
 
On March 27, Syria agreed to allow IAEA inspectors to visit a nuclear site in the western city of Homs. The inspection is scheduled for April 1, however, the Al-Kibar facilities bombed by Israel in 2007 will not be visited. 
 
Syria is also still bidding for a seat on the UN’s Human Rights Council. Though under heavy criticism for the recent violence here, the country’s ambassador to the UN Bashar Ja’afari stated in an interview that Syria’s candidacy and the recent turmoil here, are “two different issues”. 
 
Energy
 
On March 29 Sytrol, Syria’s state-owned oil company, lowered its April Souedie crude export selling price by $1.35 a barrel. 
 
Security
 
On March 25, Turkish security forces grounded another plane bound for Syria from Iran. Upon inspection, they discovered car parts and a box of automatic rifles. Two days later, Syrian security forces seized weapons, including explosives, hidden in a refrigerated truck entering Syria from Iraq. The driver was arrested. 
 
Economic Development & Trade
 
Last week, Syria’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdullah al-Dardari met with senior Indonesian officials, including Vice President Boediono and Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, to discuss options for improving bilateral relations between the two countries. Among the options discussed was a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) that would enhance the role of the Syrian-Indonesian Business Council in building partnerships between companies in the two countries. Officials from both sides also agreed to work on joint poverty alleviation efforts as well as academic and research exchanges. 
 
On Sunday, the Ministry of Economy and Trade held a workshop, “Trade Negotiation Skills,” in conjunction with the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). During the workshop, Syria’s Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade, Khaled Salouta, stated that Syria is currently working to modernize the country’s local regulations such that they will be in accordance with those of the WTO.  

March 23, 2011 – Syria in the News: A Roundup of International Reportage

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Highlight
The unrest so prevalent throughout the Middle East in recent months arrived in Syria last week. Following small rallies in Damascus on March 15th and 16th, namely to demand the release of political prisoners, a total of 33 protestors were detained.

 
The individuals detained were charged with attacking the reputation of the state, among much else. On the 19th, ten women among the detained protestors initiated an open-ended hunger strike. The swift and strong response of local authorities prompted a number of international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, to issue statements in condemnation of their actions.
 
Though security was quickly restored in Damascus, unrest then took hold in the southern tribal town of Daraa only a few days later, as well as in Homs, Aleppo and the coastal town of Banias. Reportedly, the catalyst for the unrest in Daraa was the imprisonment of a group of 15 youngsters who, after weeks of watching international media coverage of the regime-changes in both Tunisia and Egypt, decided to write political slurs about their own government on a wall. Locals came out by the thousands last Friday, to protest against the imprisonment of the teenagers. Security forces used live ammunition against the crowds, causing the immediate deaths of six.
 
Thousands again gathered the following day to attend the funeral of two of the individuals killed on Friday. Crowds were dispersed with water canons and tear gas. Crowds continued to gather and swell on Sunday, as an official delegation sent by the President arrived in the city to offer condolences to the families of the dead protestors. According to media sources, the security situation in the city then became quite tenuous as protestors set fire to private and public properties. International media reports state that another individual was also shot and killed by security forces on Sunday and that an 11-year-old boy, died on Monday from complications resulting from tear gas inhalation. The response of security forces was strong, thus leading to the closing-off of the city and a decline in disruptive activities. On Tuesday the 22nd, government reports suggested that the situation in Daraa seemed to have returned to comparative calm. There are additional reports, however, suggesting that early in the morning of the 23rd, further unrest resulted in the deaths of another six people. At the moment, local news sources are blaming armed gangs for the violence.

Regarding the weekend’s unrest in Daraa, there are differing reports regarding who was responsible for the worst of it. Authorities here blame the situation on outsiders, including Palestinian extremists. The President has also promised an official investigation into the deaths of the protestors and indeed sacked the governor of the city. Inhabitants of Daraa, all quite close and interconnected due to tribal affiliations, have put forth a number of issues for the consideration of the government, including requests to curb local corruption. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has also called on the government to conduct an open and transparent investigation into the weekend’s unrest.

For obvious reasons, international media coverage of the turn of events here in Syria has been extensive. Over forty major international news sources ran feature stories on the situation here. Setting aside those articles already referenced above, there are a number of additional notable reads as well as one audio report: Foreign Policy: “The Revolution Reaches Damascus”; National Public Radio: “Unrest Erupts in Syria” (audio clip); The BBC: “Syria Unrest: US Condemns ‘Disproportionate Force’”; Al Jazeera: “Syria’s Coming Revolution?”; The Guardian: “Standing Up to the West Isn’t Enough to Save Assad,” and; The Economist: “The Arab Awakening Reaches Syria.”

Now, for the remainder of the weekly international news roundup.

Regional Unrest, Politics & Diplomacy

Last week, President Bashar al-Assad met with Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trinidad Jimenez, to discuss efforts to bolster bilateral relations between Syria and Spain, the impasse in the Middle East peace process, and the issue of foreign intervention in neighboring states. During the meeting, President Assad stressed the importance of respecting state sovereignty – an issue of particular relevance given the international community’s recent decision to implement a no-fly zone over Libya under the guise of protecting Libyan civilians. 

To that end regional unrest, the so-called Arab Spring, seems to be trending towards increased violence. In response to the implementation of the no-fly zone, Syrian officials, including Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, made a number of official statements expressing Syria’s strong position against any foreign intervention in Libya. Relatedly, Moallem also met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the 18th, to discussed methods of promoting increased peace and stability throughout the region.

The President also met the Advisor to the Saudi King, Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah, last week to discuss the status of social unrest in Bahrain. During the meeting, President Assad received a message from Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz affirming the Kingdom’s commitment to strengthening relations between the two countries. In 2009, Saudi-Syrian relations showed signs of warming after several years of marked tension – namely following the assassination of Rafik Hairiri. Given the failed joint Saudi-Syrian effort to mediate Lebanon’s crisis of government in January of this year, there has been much speculation regarding the future of Saudi-Syrian relations.

While attending the Leaders of Change Summit 2011/Istanbul World Political Forum, Syrian Presidential Political and Media Advisor Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban discussed the issue of political stability in the region, reiterating that the west and the United States in particular, only act on the basis of strategic interests (e.g. oil) and that issues of human rights and freedom throughout the Middle East were not on the American agenda. She encouraged the west to rethink its policies and respect the will of the people and governments throughout the region. 

Economic Development & Trade

In a matter of weeks, Syria will sign a contract with Ukraine to swap wheat grains between the two countries. Syria will export hard wheat in exchange for Ukrainian soft wheat. The volumes of grain to be traded have not yet been disclosed. According to the US Department of Agriculture, it is likely that Syria’s wheat production will increase in the coming growing season from 3.6m metric tones to 4m. 

Additionally, Syria and Ecuador signed a number of agreements on trade, tourism and political cooperation last Thursday at the International Cooperation and Planning Commission, headquartered here in Damascus. The agreements include increased promotion and marketing of tourism-related products as well as in trade. 

Finally, the government of Japan sent Syria 92 garbage trucks on Sunday at a cost of 12m. The trucks are set to make their way to Homs, Idleb, Lattakia, Suweida, Hama and Damascus. 

Security

On March 19th, Turkey intercepted an Iranian cargo plane allegedly en route to Syria. Turkish security forces boarded and searched the plane and discovered only 150 tons of food. Turkish authorities again intercepted and searched another such suspicious plane on the 21st – with the same outcome. 

Energy

Following the Syrian-Turkish Energy Cooperation Forum held in Damascus on the 17th, Syria’s Assistant Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Hassan Zeinab, stressed the importance of furthering Turkish-Syrian economic and political relations – particularly in the field of energy. At present, a 62km oil pipeline between Aleppo and Syria’s border with Turkey, is under construction. Turkey’s Assistant Minister of Electricity, Hisham Mashafj, likewise highlighted the significance of the two countries’ cooperation in the field of electric power. In 1993, Turkey and Syria signed an Agreement of Electric Linkage. Egypt, Jordan and Iraq were also signatories of the agreement and in 2008, Lebanon, Palestine and Libya likewise joined. 

March 16, 2011 – Syria in the News: A Roundup of International Reportage

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Regional Unrest

In the last week, the surge in violence in Libya and to a lesser extent, Bahrain and Yemen, ensured that international media coverage of the recent uprisings in the Middle East remained intense.

While in weeks prior, journalists and political analysts offered up detailed analyses of the absence of political unrest here, last week showed a relative calming of such media coverage. There were protests here on March 15th yet participants were few in number. Syria did come up quite often, however, in the periphery of reportage on unrest in neighboring states.

The Economist ran a piece, “Throwing Money at the Street,” that detailed the efforts of various Arab regimes to appease their citizenry with lavish spending and promises of increased job opportunities. Syria was mentioned due to recent commitments to raise wages, among much else. 

As the international community, driven largely by France and Britain, contemplates the implementation of a no-fly zone over Libya, much was made of the Arab League’s decision to support such demands. Throughout related discussions, Syria expressed strong reservations about the need to respect Libya’s sovereignty and the right of the people and government to manage the increasing unrest in the absence of international interference – particularly from the west.

The discussions revolving around the no-fly zone prompted a number of articles exploring Syria’s interests in and strategic concerns regarding Libya, including ABNA.co: “Syria Rejects Any Foreign Intervention in Libya” and Los Angeles Times, “West Not Ready to Intervene in Libya Yet.” At the same time, Xinhua, a leading Chinese news source, also reported on Syria’s alleged shipment of arms in support of Gaddafi – an accusation fiercely denied by local authorities.

Relatedly, in the blogosphere, we saw two prominent writers cover precisely these topics: Joshua Landis for Syria Comment and Maysaloon, an anonymous Syrian writer known for publishing provocative political commentary.

Syria Today ran two articles analyzing the prospects for Syria-Egypt relations post-Mubarak: “Life After Mubarak” and “Shifting the Balance.” As the ousting of Mubarak marks a profound change in the power dynamics within the region, there is much speculation regarding precisely how this will impact Syria’s strategic interests.

Finally, Human Rights Watch published an article on March 9th, regarding the disappearance of three young Syrian men in Lebanon. One of the men was known to have attempted to organize protests.

Politics & Diplomacy

Setting aside the issue of recent regional unrest, we saw a lot of news on the diplomatic and political front. Forward Magazine ran a piece on US-Syria Track II talks to increase and improve dialogue between Damascus and Washington. The talks will be hosted by former US President Jimmy Carter at the Carter Center and will feature a number of prominent Syrian politicians, intellectuals, and businessmen. Regardless, tensions between the US and Syria remain strong, particularly over the issue of IAEA nuclear inspections. On March 10, a US lawmaker called for Syria’s suspension from the IAEA.

A meeting between President al-Assad and Iraq’s Iyad Allawi regarding the security situation in Iraq and efforts to improve bilateral relations between the two countries also made the news. 

Syria’s tumultuous relationship with Lebanon was also in the spotlight following a rally in Beirut on March 14th. 

Economic Development & Trade

The Financial Times published a feature article on Syria’s efforts to restore the old city of Aleppo, a critical landmark in the history and culture of Syria and the region more broadly. Just months ago, the New York Times ran a similar piece highlighting the success of the restoration efforts. Deteriorating infrastructure – particularly in the plumbing and waste management systems – had sparked a huge decline in the population of Aleppo in the 1980s and 90s. However, recent restoration efforts encouraged both repopulation and a considerable increase in the old city’s real estate values.

Syrian Housing and Development Minister Omar Ebrahim Qalavanji and Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar signed a number of memoranda regarding efforts to increase economic ties between the two countries, including on matters of housing development. Further, Iran’s First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi announced that the two countries plan to boost their economic ties to 5bn in the coming year. Syria and Iran will also establish their first joint bank within the next three months.

The value of trade between Syria and the US showed a marked increase in 2010 and experts expect this growth to continue. Though significantly hampered by US sanctions, the two countries do engage in the trade of agricultural and petroleum-based products. Last year, US-Syria trade was valued at SYP 43.3bn (USD 941m), up from SYP 27.9bn (USD 607m) in 2009. 

Finally, Syria Today ran a feature article on the need to develop and monitor quality standards in Syrian industries that conform to broadly accepted international standards. The magazine also ran an article on the efforts of Syrian entrepreneurs to develop the country’s creative industries – particularly in IT.

Energy

Iran announced plans to export natural gas to Syria estimated at 5 million cubic meters a day by the end of this year. The exports will begin once construction of the pipeline that runs through Iraq and southern Turkey is complete. 

Syria also announced plans to auction off rights to offshore exploration later this month. The hope is that increased foreign investment in the development of the country’s energy sector will counterbalance the decline in Syria’s oil output.

Security

On March 11, Syrian security forces seized a considerable shipment of explosives, weapons, and night-vision goggles that entered the country from Iraq. The truck was apparently loaded in Baghdad. No information has been released regarding the quantity of weapons that were seized. 

Finally, AFP in Damascus ran an article on a number of Kurds in prisons throughout Syria who have initiated a hunger strike demanding increased political rights. Last week, well-known lawyer and human rights activist, Haythem al-Maleh, was released from prison on a presidential pardon. 

Highlight

This week’s highlight comes from Reuters. On March 10, the news organization ran a feature, “In Syria’s Parched Farmlands, Echoes of Egyptian Woes,” that detailed the struggles of famers in Syria’s now drought-laden Hauran plateau. During Ottoman times, the southwestern plateau was a fertile land capable of meeting much of the surrounding regions’ agricultural needs. However, in recent years severe drought combined with the mismanagement of water supplies has left it, as well as much of eastern Syria, parched. As a result, 800,000 people now live in abject poverty and many thousands have been displaced. The severe dearth of water has left farmers unable to yield enough crops to feed their families and earn a living. It has also lead to a reduction of 80-85 percent of herders’ livestock.

The situation is critical enough that in February of this year, the UN’s World Food Programme extended its emergency relief operations in Syria, thus aiming to feed an additional 300,000 people. The agency noted that food insecurity, or the inability of people to meet even their most basic nutritional requirements, was spreading. 

As noted in last week’s entry, the government here has initiated a number of projects, including a massive new irrigation system, aimed at mitigating the effects of the drought and improving the lot of the country’s farmers and rural dwellers. However, government focus in recent years on boosting the business and real estate sectors, meant that reforms that would have lessened the plight of the country’s poorest citizens, are late in coming. Unemployment and poverty levels continue to grow. Recently, however, customs duties on fruits, vegetables and rice were lowered and cash handouts for the poor (so far totaling about 420,000 families) were made available – thus lessening the burden for some. In the coming months, we can undoubtedly expect to see further reforms.

March 8, 2011 – Syria in the News: A Roundup of International Reportage

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Regional Unrest

Unsurprisingly, given the revolutions and protests unfolding in states across the Middle East, international reportage on the region in recent weeks has been dominated by coverage of regional unrest. Media reports on Syria from the United States and Europe evince a fascination with the calm that nevertheless abounds here.

From the US, we saw a number of high-profile reports on Syria’s youth amid a sea of speculation regarding whether or not they too will take to the streets: Time: “The Youth of Syria: The Rebels Are on Pause“; The New York Times: “‘Day of Rage’ Protest Fails to Draw Protestors“; The Washington Post: “Will Syria Become More Democratic?“; The Wall Street Journal: “Syrians Revel in Removal of Ban on Social Websites,” and; New York Post: “Sucking Up to Syria.”

On the UK front, we saw coverage not dissimilar from that of the US with a focus largely on the prevailing calm here in Syria. Some highlights include: the BBC; “Syria: Why is There No Egypt-Style Revolution?;” the Guardian: “Syria Clamps Down on Dissent...” 

Locally, the media has covered government efforts to help Syrian expatriates escape the turmoil in Libya. Thus far it has succeeded in bringing thousands of Syrians home. 

Politics & Diplomacy

On the diplomatic front, we saw a number of papers and magazines, including Foreign Policy, exploring the implications of the arrival of US Ambassador Robert Ford in Damascus in mid-January in addition to ongoing coverage of negotiations between Syria and the IAEA with regard to nuclear inspections.

In late January, The Wall Street Journal featured a coveted interview with President al-Assad and a photo spread of the president by Syrian photojournalist, Carole al-Farah.

In the US, one notable deviation from analysis of regional unrest came from on-going backlash against Vogue’s running of a piece on Syria’s First Lady in December 2010 that also featured the photography of James Nachtwey. Even as American papers and magazines went to print in late February, political pundits and members of the American media were still fuming about the matter: The Week: “Vogue’s ‘Tone-Deaf’ Puff Piece on Syria’s First Lady” and The Atlantic: “Vogue Hearts the Assads.”

Economic Development

In mid-February The Economist ran an article about the Syrian government’s selling of debt in the midst of the region’s crisis while local magazine Syria Today ran a feature article on Syria’s pressing need to advance its research and development (R&D) sector. The article highlighted a number of issues – a paucity of local investment in R&D and correspondingly, a lack of interest in innovation, poor communication between universities, research organizations and industries, and the need to increase protection of intellectual property rights.

To that end, discussions of approaches to advancing the Syrian economy are continual and in early March, the Prime Ministry Building held a workshop here in Damascus that focused on improving the competitiveness of the Syrian economy and methods of attracting increased investment.

Energy, Natural Resources & Infrastructure

Economic relations between Syria and Turkey show continued strengthening as Turkish energy executives arrange for talks in Damascus on March 17 that will address their bids for a share of Syrian power plant tenders, among a number of other related issues.

In Eastern Europe just days ago, Croatia’s INA announced plans to invest USD 230m this year in efforts to extract and refine oil in-country as well as in Syria, Egypt and Angola.  The Hayan Block in Syria will receive an estimated USD 69.5m from INA to boost production of both liquid petroleum and gas while the Aphamia Exploration Block, also in Syria, will receive USD 15.5m from INA to expand its exploration. 

In the last month, Syria and Turkey also initiated the building of a dam on the Orontes River along their shared border. The river originates in northern Lebanon, eventually making its way to Syria and Turkey. The dam is expected to hold 115 million cubic meters of water. Syrian-Turkish cooperation on the planning of the dam is viewed by some Mideast experts as an example of how the region’s pervasive water scarcity issues can be used as a means of strengthening diplomatic relations. Meanwhile, in the last few days Syria has also initiated a massive irrigation project on the Tigris River in an effort to address severe drought issues in the northeast. Water scarcity is among Syria’s central security concerns. 

Security

In late February, Russia announced that it intends to proceed with its plans to sell Syria 72 Yakhont supersonic cruise missiles. At the same time, Iranian-Syrian naval ties are strengthening.  

Healthcare

Syrian and Turkish medical professionals also met last week in Aleppo to discuss approaches to advancing the provision of healthcare in both countries. Further, in a meeting in Tehran with Iranian Health Minister Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi on March 6, Syrian Health Minister Rida Adnan Said expressed strong interest in the development of joint medical systems between Iran and Syria. In recent years, Iran has made notable strides in the field of biomedicine while the Syrian medical industry and the country’s healthcare sector have suffered considerably under US sanctions. 

Tourism

Ongoing regional unrest has had a deleterious impact on the local tourism industry. Predictably, skittish foreign tourists are hedging their travels plans to the region and are likewise postponing travel to Syria, amid foreign concern that the unrest in the region could take hold here. The crisis throughout the region has fallen within peak tourist season and Syria is already paying a price for it, regardless of its exceptional standing amid neighboring countries. The hope is that European and Asian tourists (who far outnumber visitors from America) will soon forget any concerns about instability and resume booking their travel plans. 

Highlight

This week’s press highlight comes from Phil Sands, a British reporter based in Damascus who is among a handful of accredited foreign journalists working in Syria. In his March 6 report for The National, “Population Surge in Syria Hamper’s Country’s Progress,” Sands calls attentions to Syria’s population boom – an issue of vital relevance to the country’s economic development and water scarcity concerns. According to Sands, the country’s population increased by over 80,000 between January and February of this year. Following trends common throughout much of the world, Syria’s rapid population growth is generally not found in its more developed metropolitan areas such as Damascus, but instead comes from its impoverished, rural agricultural areas – most notably in the east which also suffers from the most severe food and water shortages in the country. Indeed, the UN has placed Syria ninth on its list of the world’s fastest growing countries and this growing birth rate has adversely affected the country’s ability to improve the living standards of Syrian citizens – who number about 21 million. At the core of the issue, is the delicate work of introducing methods of contraception, which for a number of cultural, religious and economic reasons, remains a formidable task. At its current growth rate of 2.37 percent, the Syrian population is growing by 500,000 annually. High unemployment rates (official estimates are at about 10 percent, but many experts maintain it is likely closer to 15), comparatively slow economic growth, and a shortage of university spots mean that growing numbers of young Syrians will face poor educational and economic opportunities unless new official policies are effectively implemented to curb population growth.

المرسوم التشريعي 20 لعام 1983 قانون الاستملاك

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المادة 1

يقصد بالتعابير الواردة في هذا المرسوم التشريعي المعاني المبينة بجانبها فيما يلي:

– الجهة الادارية: الوحدة الادارية او البلدية.
– المجلس: المكتب التنفيذي في الوحدة الادارية او المجلس البلدي في البلدية.
– رئيس الجهة الادارية: رئيس المكتب التنفيذي في الوحدة الادارية او رئيس البلدية.

المادة 2

يجوز للوزارات والادارت والمؤسسات العامة والجهات الادارية ولجهات القطاع العام ان تستملك العقارات المبنية وغير المبنية سواء كانت ملكا صرفا او ملكا للوقف،او مثقلة بحق وقفي وذلك لتنفيذ مشاريعها ذات النفع العام المنصوص عليها في هذا الممرسوم التشريعي.

المادة 3

يقصد بالمشاريع ذات النفع العام كل مايتعلق بالاعمال الاتية:

آ- فتح الطرق الجديدة وتوسيع الطرق الموجودة او تقويمها والمنشأت التابعة لها وانشاء الساحات والملاعب والاسواق والحدائق العامة والبحيرات ومجاري المياه.

ب- انشاء دورالعبادة والثكنات العسكرية والمطارات والمرافئ والسكك الحديدية والمخافر والمستشفيات والمراكز الصحية والمدارس والمعاهد والجامعات والمذابح ودور الايتام وملاجئ العجزة وابنية المراكز الثقافية والاندية الرياضية، والمنشآت الخاصة بحزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي والمنظمات الشعبية التي يتطلبها تحقيق مهام هذه الجهات، وبشكل عام جميع المباني والانشاءات التي تخصص للاعمال العامة او المنافع العامة.

ج- الاعمال والمنشآت الزراعية ومشروعات الري والشرب والسدود.

د- مشاريع النفط والغاز والكهرباء والثروة المعدنية والمناطق الصناعية.

هـ- انشاء الملاجئ والخنادق والمنافذ والمشاريع التي تقتضيها متطلبات الامن والدفاع

و- االانشاءات السياحية والتموينية والانشاءات والمشاريع المتعلقة بتنفيذ الخطط الانمائية والاستثمارية المقررة اصولا.

ز- جميع المشاريع التي تدخل في نطاق اختصاص اي من الجهات العامة والقطاع العام ومهماتها المحددة في القوانين والانظمة النافذة وفق خطط الدولة المقررة اصولا.

المادة 4

آ- مع مراعاة احكام المادة (2) من القانون رقم (60) لعام 1979، يجوز للجهات الادارية وللجهات المشرفة على الاسكان او المختصة به استملاك العقارات وتخطيطها وتقسيمها الى مقاسم معدة للبناء بغية انشاء المساكن الشعبية عليها، او بيعها للراغبين في انشاء تلك المساكن.

كما يجوز لوزارة الدفاع استملاك العقارات لاقامة التجمعات السكنية العسكرية، او لبناء المساكن لبيعها للعسكريين ولاسر الشهداء وللعاملين في وزارة الدفاع او لجهات اخرى تحدد بمرسوم.

ب-يجوز للجهات الادارية استملاك العقارات بغية انشاء المناطق الصناعية وتخطيطها وتقسيمها واستثمار او بيع المقاسم الناتجة عنها، وتحدد بقرار يصدر عن رئيس مجلس الوزراء بناء على اقتراح من وزيري الاسكان والمرافق والادارة المحلية الاسس التي يتم بموجبها الاستثمار والبيع ويراعى فيها عدم جواز بيع هذه المقاسم والايشاد عليها من بناء قبل مضي خمسة عشر عاما على الشراء.

ج- يجري بيع المقاسم المشار اليها في الفقرتين السابقتين بسعر الكلفة وتحدد هذه الكلفة بناء على الكلفة الاجمالية للمنطقة وعلى اساس النفقات التالية:

1- بدلات الاستملاك لكامل المنطقة المستملكة.
2- تعويضات الاخلاء واتلاف المزروعات ونفقات الدراسة والاعمال الطبغرافية والمساحية وتعويضات لجان الاستملاك وسائر النفقات الاخرى.
3- نفقات المرافق العامة التي تتحملها المنطقة.
4- نفقات ادارة وقدرها خمسة بالمئة من مجموع المبالغ المشار اليها في البنود السابقة من هذه الفقرة.
5- الفوائد التي تتحملها الجهة المستملكةعن اي من المبالغ المذكورة في البنود 1، 2،3 وفي حالة تعذر تحديد احدى النفقات التي سبق ذكرها فللجهة المستملكة ان تعتمد في اجراء حسابها على تقديرات يقرها آمر الصرف.

المادة 5

1 – يجوز للجهة الادارية ان تستملك العقارات او اجزاء العقارات التي تكون غير صالحة للبناء بموجب نظام البناء النافذ، او لاسباب فنية اخرى كالمساحة او الشكل الهندسي وذلك بقصد دمجهااو توحيدها ( افرازها ) بشكل تصبح معه قابلة للبناء بمقتضى الانظمة والاعتبارات الفنية.

2 – لايجوز اللجوء للاستملاك المنصوص عليه في الفقرة السابقة الا اذا تعذر اتفاق اصحاب العلاقة على توحيد عقاراتهم او دمجها او افرازها بشكل تكون معه قابلة للبناء، ويعود تقدير ذلك للجهة المستملكة.ويثبت تعذر الاتفاق بموجب محضر تنظمه الجهة الادارية لهذا الغرض بعد دعوة اصحاب العلاقة، ويكون هذا مستندا للاستملاك.

3- على الجهة الادارية ان تبيع العقارات او اجزاء العقارات طبقا لهذه المادة بطريقة المزايدة العلنية بين مالكيها وتضاف الى القيمة التي ترسو عليها المزايدة نسبة قدرها 15% لصالح الجهة الادارية لقاء النفقات الادارية، واذا لم يبلغ بدل المبيع الذي ترسو عليه المزايدة بدل الاستملاك يصار الى البيع بطريقة المزايدة العلنية وفق احكام المرسوم التشريعي رقم 28 لعام 1969.

المادة 6

يحق للجهة الادارية عندما تقوم بتطبيق الاستملاك لتنفيذ فتح الطرق الجديدة وتوسيع الطرق الموجودة او تقويمها والمنشآت التابعة لها وانشاء الساحات والملاعب والاسواق والحدائق العامة والبحيرات ومجاري المياه ان تستملك عدا مايلزم لتنفيذ المشروع من العقارات واجزاء العقارات مساحات لغاية عمق اربعين مترا من كل طرف او من طرف واحد حسبما تقتضيه مصلحتها، ويعتبر استملاك هذه الاقسام الاضافية من الاعمال ذات النفع العام وتتصرف الجهة الادارية بها تصرف المالك بملكه بما في ذلك البيع ويجوز للجهة الادارية ان تتصرف بها وفق الاحكام المبينة في المادة الرابعة من هذا المرسوم التشريعي، ولا يكون لبلديات الدرجة الرابعة والوحدات الادارية التي تحل محها مثل هذا الحق.

المادة 7

يتم الاستملاك بمرسوم يصدر بناء على اقتراح الوزير المختص، يتضمن التصريح عن وجود النفع العام، ويستند مرسوم الاستملاك في اصداره الى مايلي:

1- مخطط يبين العقارات واجزاء العقارات المراد استملاكها.
2- بيان يتضمن القيمة التقديرية لتلك العقارات.
3- رأي الجهة الادارية التي يقع الاستملاك ضمن حدودها الادارية او رأي المكتب التنفيذي للمحافظة ذات العلاقة خارج الحدود المذكورة.
4- رأي المكتب التنفيذي لاتحاد الفلاحين في المحافظة فيما يتعلق بالعقارات المراد استملاكها والواقعة خارج المخططات التنظيمية للوحدات الادارية والبلديات.

يكون مرسوم الاستملاك مبرما لايقبل اي طريق من طرق الطعن او المراجعة.

المادة 8

ينشر مرسوم الاستملاك في الجريدة الرسمية،وفي احدى الصحف المحلية، وعند عدم وجودها ففي احدى صحف العاصمة.

المادة 9

آ- تقوم الجهة المستملكة بابلاغ صورة عن مرسوم الاستملاك الى الجهة الادارية والدوائر العقارية المختصة لوضع الاشارة في صحائف العقارات تشعر بخضوعها للاستملاك على من تنقل اليه ملكية العقارات الاجراءات القانونية التي طبقت على المالك السابق.

ب- يمتنع على الجهة الادارية والجهات العقاريةمن تاريخ تبلغها صورة مرسوم الاستملاك الموافقة على الافراز او دمج العقارات او الترخيص بالبناء في العقارات المستملكة كما يمتنع على المالكين من تاريخ وضع الاشارة تغيير معالمها ولا يعتد بعد ذلك في معرض حساب بدل الاستملاك باي تغيير في اوصاف العقارات المستملكة.

المادة 10

مع عدم الاخلال بقانون الاصلاح الزراعي، اذا وقع الاستملاك في مناطق غير محددة ومحررة فيتم ودون التقيد بحكم المادة الرابعة عشرة من المرسوم التشريعي رقم 145 لعام 1966 تحديد وتحرير المساحات التي شملها الاستملاك فقط وفق اصول واجراءات مختصرة يصدر بتحديدها قرار من وزير الزراعة والاصلاح الزراعي بناء على اقتراح المديرية العامة للمصالح العقارية.

ولا يحول عدم البدء في عمليات تحديد وتحرير المساحات المستملكة دون وضع اليد عليها بعد وصف حالتها الراهنة وتقدير قيمتها البدائية من قبل لجنة التقدير البدائي.

المادة 11

اذا شمل الاستملاك جزءا من عقار وكان الجزء الباقي منه غير قابل للانتفاع به فعلى الجهة المستملكة ان تستملكه اذا طلب المالك منها ذلك خلال ثلاث سنوات من تاريخ وضع يدها على الجزء المستملك وقرر المجلس اوالجهة المستملكة في المناطق التي لايوحد فيها مجلس انه غير صالح للانتفاع به.

ولا حاجة في هذه الحالة الى صدور مرسوم باستملاك الجزء المذكور ويصدر قرار المجلس او الجهة المستملكة بهذا الشأن مبرما في جميع الاحوال.

المادة 12

1- تشكل الجهة المستملكة بقرار مبرم لجنة بدائية لتقدير قيمة العقارات المستملكة من ثلاثة اعضاء يكون احدهم مهندسا.

2- لاتصح قرارات اللجنة الا اذا اتخذت بحضور جميع اعضائها ويجوز اصدارها بالاكثرية.

3- لايجوز ان يكون عضوا في اللجنة كل من له باي من اصحاب الحقوق في العقارات المستملكة علاقة قرابة او صلة تنطبق عليها احكام المادة ( 174 ) من قانون اصول المحاكمات.

المادة 13

على اللجنة ان تقدرقيمة العقارات على اساس قيمتها قبل تاريخ مرسوم الاستملاك مباشرة وان تسقط من الحساب كل ارتفاع طرأ على الاسعار بنتيجة مشروع الاستملاك او المضاربات التجارية، اذا كان هذا الارتفاع بالقيمة لايبرره ارتفاع مماثل في المنطقة المجاورة.

المادة 14

1- يجري تقدير قيمة العقار المستملك على اساس قيمة الارض والبناء والانشاءات الاخرى ويتم تقدير قيمة الارض وفق الاسس الواردة في القانون رقم (3) لعام 1976 وتعديلاته.

2- اذا اختار المالك هدم البناء وقام بالتنفيذ خلال المدة التي تحددها له الجهة المستملكة، فله ان يأخذ الانقاض مقابل ذلك.اما اذا لم ينفذ الهدم خلال المدة المذكورة فتتولى الجهة المستملكة هدم البناء واخذ انقاضه.

3- اذا لم يختر المالك، خلال المدة التي تحددها له الجهة المستملكة هدم البناء تتولى تلك الجهة هدمه واخذ انقاضه.

المادة 15

اذا كان العقار المستملك ارضا مشجرة فيجري التقدير على اساس قيمة الارض والاشجار وتقدر قيمة الاشجار بحسب نوعها وعمرها وانتاجها من قبل لجنة بدائية يكون احد اعضائها خبيرا بامور الزراعة.

2- اما الزروع وثمار الاشجار فتقدر قيمتها بتاريخ اتلافها من قبل لجنة خاصة تشكل لهذا الغرض يكون احد اعضائها خبيرا بامور الزراعة ويكون تقديرها مبرما.

3- اذا شمل الاستملاك ارضا زراعية يترتب عليها حقوق لمزارع بالمشاركة او بالبدل فيعتبر العقد منفسخا يبن الطرفين كليا او جزئيا حسب شمول الاستملاك لكل او لجزء الارض وتدفع الجهة المستملكة في هذه الحالة بدل الاستملاك موزعا بنسبة 70% لمالك عين العقار و30 % للمزارع بالبدل او المشاركة.

المادة 16

تنظم الدوائر العقارية بناء على طلب الجهة المستملكة قائمة باسماء مالكي العقارات المقرر استملاكها واصحاب الحقوق المسجلة على اصحابها ومقدار حصة كل منهم مع بيان مساحاتها والانواع الشرعية والحقوق العينية والارتفاقية المترتبة على هذه العقارات.

المادة 17

1- تقوم الجهة المستملكة بتبليغ المالكين واصحاب الاستحقاق القيم المقدرة لعقاراتهم وحقوقهم المستملكة بما في ذلك تعويضات الاشجار وتعلن في نفس الوقت في – بهو الجهة المستملكة وفي المنطقة التي يجري فيها الاستملاك وفي صحيفة محلية ان وجدت وفي حال عدم وجودها ففي احدى صحف العاصمة – انتهاء اعمال التقدير البدائي ودعوة عامة لجميع المالكين واصحاب الاستحقاق للحضور الى المكان الذي تحدده الجهة المستملكة للاطلاع على الاضبارة والمخطط وضبط التقدير، وتعرض هذه الاعمال خلال خمسة عشر يوما ويقوم هذا الاعلان مقام التبليغ لمن تعذر تبليغهم، كل شخص مجهول محل الاقامة من مختار محل الاستملاك، او مقيم خارج حدود المدينة التي يجري فيها الاستملاك، او احد ورثة صاحب عقار متوف لم يقم باجراء حصر الارث القانوني ومعاملة الانتقال في الدوائر العقارية.

2- يحق لجميع الاشخاص الوارد ذكرهم في الفقرة السابقة ان يقدموا خلال ثلاثين يوما من اليوم الذي يلي تاريخ نشر الاعلان او التبليغ المشار اليهما في الفقرة المذكورة.

آ- اعتراضهم على التقدير البدائي مع تعيين الموطن المختار ضمن حدود الجهة الادارية، وتعتبر القيم المقدرة غير المعترض عليها خلال المهلة المحددة في هذه الفترة مبرمة، ويعتبر اعتراض احد الشركاء في العقار بمثابة اعتراض بقية الشركاء.
ب- ادعاءهم بالملكية او بأية حقوق اخرى مدعى بها على عقار او اكثر من عقارات منطقة الاستملاك بطلب مستقل يودع اضبارة لجنة حل الخلافات المشكلة بموجب المادة (18).

المادة 18

تشكل لدى الجهة المستملكة لجنة ذات اختصاص قضائي تختص بالنظر في جميع الادعاءات بالملكية او بالمنازعات العينية على العقارات الداخلة في المنطقة الاستملاكية، وتحال اليها جميع الدعاوى المماثلة المتعلقة بالمنطقة القائمة امام المحاكم التي لم يبت فيها بحكم مبرم.

المادة 19

1- بناء على طلب يجب ان تتقدم به الجهة المستملكة حين وجود منازعات تدخل في اختصاص حل الخلافات، يصدر وزير العدل قرارا مبرما بتشكيل هذه اللجنة كما يلي:

آ – قاض يسميه وزير العدل رئيسا.
ب- ممثل للمديرية العامة للمصالح العقارية من حملة الاجازة في الحقوق عضوا.
ج- ممثل للجهة المستملكة من حملة الاجازة في الحقوق عضوا يسميه رئيسها.

2- يؤدي عضوا اللجنة اليمين التالية امام رئيسها:

(( أقسم بالله العظيم ان اقوم بمهمتي بأمانة وصدق وان لاافشي اسرار المذاكرات )).

المادة 20

تتمتع اللجنة في سبيل الفصل في الادعاءات او المنازعات المقدمة او المحالة اليها بجميع الحقوق التي تتمتع بها المحكمة المختصة اصلا بالنظر في النزاع.

المادة 21

تكون قرارات اللجنة قابلة للطعن امام محكمة استئناف المحافظة وفق الميعاد والاصول المتبعة في استئناف قرارات قاضي الامور المستعجلة وتفصل محكمة الاستئناف في غرفة المذاكرة بالطعن بقرار مبرم ويبقى للمتضرر الذي لم يكن طرفا في النزاع امام اللجنة ان يداعي مسبب الضرر بالتعويض عن الضرر الذي اصابه امام القضاء العادي.

يجري تنفيذ قرارات اللجنة التي لم يطعن فيها خلال الميعاد القانوني وقرار محكمة الاستئناف لدى اي من الجهات العامة، اما بكتاب يوجهه رئيس اللجنة الى الجهة المختصة مرفقا بصورة القرار بعد استيفاء الرسم المقرر في قانون الرسوم والتأمينات القضائية لتنفيذ الاحكام البدائية واما بكتاب من رئيس محكمة الاستئناف مرفق بصورة عن قرار المحكمة بعد استيفاء الرسوم القانونية.

المادة 22

تعفى اللجنة من التقيد بالاصول والمهل المقررة في قوانين الاصول، ويجوز لها ان تكون محكما بناء على اتفاق الخصوم مع التفويض بالصلح او بدونه.

على اللجنة ان تبت في المنازعات المقدمة اليها خلال اربعة اشهر على الاكثر من تاريخ صدور قرار بتشكيلها.

المادة 23

1- تنظر بالاعتراضات على التقدير البدائي لجنة اعادة النظر تشكل بقرار مبرم من رئيس الكتب التنفيذي لمجلس المحافظة التي تقع على حدودها العقارات المستملكة وذلك على النحو التالي:

– قاض يسمية وزرير العدل رئيسا.
– ممثل عن الجهة المستملكة يسميه الوزير المختص عضوا.
– ممثل عن اصحاب العقارات المستملكة عضوا.
– ممثل عن اتحاد الفلاحين يسمية المكتب التنفيذي لاتحاد الفلاحين في المحافظة عضوا.

2- يتم انتخاب ممثل اصحاب العقارات المستملكة بدعوى من الجهة المستملكة للاشخاص الذين حددوا موطنهم المختار لانتخابه ويعتبر الانتخاب صحيحا باكثرية اصوات من لبى الدعوة، يحدد في الدعوة مكان وزمان الانتخاب.

3- اذا لم يلب اصحاب العقارات المستملكة الدعوة لانتخاب ممثلهم في لجنة اعادة النظر يقوم القاضي البدائي او قاضي الصلح في حال عدم وجود القاضي البدائي بتعيين الممثل المشار اليه.

4- يشترط في رئيس واعضاء اللجنة مايشنرط في عضو لجنة التقدير البدائي بموجب الفقرة ( 3 ) من المادة ( 12 ) من هذا المرسوم التشريعي كما لايجوز ان يكون عضوا في لجنة اعادة النظر من كان عضوا في اللجنة البدائية.

المادة 24

1- تجتمع لجنة اعادة النظر بدعوة من رئيسها، وبعد ان يتحقق الرئيس من عدم وجود مايمنع من قيام الاعضاء من اداء مهمتم يحلفهم اليمين التالية: (( اقسم بالله العظيم ان اقوم بمهمتي بأمانة وصدق وان لاافشي اسرار المذاكرات )).ثم تباشر عملها بالنظر في الاعتراضات الواردة على التقدير البدائي.

2- تصدر لجنة اعادة النظر بحضور جميع الاعضاء قراراتها بالاجماع او بالاكثرية وتكون قراراتها مبرمة لاتقبل طريقا من طرق الطعن او المراجعة.

3- اذا تعذر اجتماع لجنة اعادة النظر لتغيُّب رئيسها او عضو او اكثر من اعضائها تتولى الجهة المختصة تسمية بديل عنه باستثناء ممثل اصحاب العقارات المستملكة، فتتم تسمية بديل عنه وفق احكام الفقرة (3) من المادة السابقة.

المادة 25

1- تتم اعادة النظر بالتقدير البدائي وفق الاسس المتبعة في التقدير البدائي ويجب التصريح بذلك في الضبط النهائي، ويجري تسديد القيم لاصحاب الاستحقاق او ايداعها لمصلحتهم في المصرف خلال خمس سنوات من تاريخ الاستملاك.

2- يجوز للجهة المستملكة ان تضع يدها على العقارات المستملكة بعد ان يصبح تقدير قيمتها مبرما لايقبل طريقا من طرق الطعن او المراجعة اما اذا كان العقار المستملك بناء فيعطى شاغلوه مهلة اضافية مدتها ثلاثة اشهرعلى الاقل لاخلائه، وتقوم الجهة المستملكة بعد انتهاء المدة المحددة بالاخلاء.

3- اذا تأخر الدفع او الايداع في المصرف عن المدة المحددة في الفقرة (1) من هذه المادة لايعاد تقدير القيمة وانما يدفع لصاحب الاستحقاق فائدة قانونية بسيطة بمعدل 6% من القيمة سنويا عن مدة التأخير، وتسري هذه الفائدة من تاريخ انقضاء خمس سنوات على صدور مرسوم الاستملاك او من تاريخ وضع اليد على العقار ايهما اسبق، وتزاد هذه الفائدة الى 8% سنويا بالنسبة للعقارات التي وضعت عليها اليد، بعد خمس سنوات من تاريخ وضع اليد.

4- لايستحق اصحاب الاستحقاق الفائدة القانونية عن مدة التأخير اذا كان التأخير في الدفع او الايداع في المصرف الى المالكين حاصلا بسببهم.

5-تدفع الجهة المستملكة الفائدة القانونية عن مدد التأخير لاصحاب الاستحقاق سنويا وتعتبر كسور السنة بما يزيد على ستة اشهر كاملة في معرض حساب الفائدة القانونية المستحقة.

6- تكون الفائدة القانونية المنصوص عليها في هذه المادة مانعة من استحقاق اي تعويض ناشيء عن صدور مرسوم الاستملاك او عن وضع اشارة الاستملاك او عن وضع اليد بما في ذلك اجر المثل او التأخر في دفع القيمة.

7- للادارة في حال عدم وجود اسباب مبرره للتأخير يقبل بها الوزير المختص ان تعود على الموظفين المسببين بدفع الفائدة القانونية متضامنين فيما بينهم.

8- يعتبر كل من التقدير البدائي غير المعترض عليه خلال المهلة المحددة في المادة /17/ من هذا المرسوم التشريعي، وكذلك التقدير الصادر عن لجنة اعادة النظر نهائيا ولا يجوز ان يعاد هذا التقدير لاي سبب من الاسباب.

المادة 26

مع مراعاة احكام المادة /25 / من هذا المرسوم التشريعي لايستدعي تجديد مرسوم الاستملاك اعادة التقدير في الحالتين التاليتين:

1- اذا صدر مرسوم الاستملاك تلافيا لنقص في الشكل نتج عن صدور حكم قضائي بالغاء الاستملاك السابق.
2- تغيير الصفة التنظيمية للعقارالمستملك اذا جرى هذا التغيير وفق الانظمة المرعية ولغرض آخر من اغراض النفع العام الواردة في هذا المرسوم التشريعي.

المادة 27

آ- يجوز للجهة الادارية ان تستملك لحساب الجهات العامةالاخرى التي لها حق الاستملاك وكذلك لحساب مؤسسات حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي والمنظمات الشعبية، او ان تتابع عنها عمليات الاستملاك ويتم كل ذلك بناء على طلبها الخطي.

ب- تستوفي الجهة الادارية بدلات الاستملاك وجميع ماتنفقه في هذا السبيل من الجهة التي تم الاستملاك لصالحها.

المادة 28

يجوز ان يتم الاستملاك بالصفة المستعجلة شريطة النص على صفة الاستعجال في المرسوم الصادر بالاستملاك ويكون ذلك في الحالات التالية:

آ- حدوث كوارث موجبه لسرعة مباشرة الاعمال.
ب- توسيع او تكميل مشروع قائم.
ج- انشاء الملاجيء والخنادق والمنافذ والمشاريع التي تقتضيها متطلبات الامن والدفاع.
د- انشاء المساكن الشعبية وايجاد المقاسم الصالحة للبناء لهذا الغرض.
ط- انشاء ابنية التعليم وتأمين العقارات الصالحة لهذا الغرض.
و- اقامة السدود وشبكات الري والطرق بما فيها السكك الحديدية.

المادة 29

يحق للجهة المستملكة في الحالات المذكورة في المادة السابقة ان تضع يدها على العقارات الغير مبنية فور نشر مرسوم الاستملاك وقبل تقدير القيمة على انه اذا كانت العقارات المذكورة تحتوي على اشجار او مزروعات فتنظم محاضر جرد لها قبل وضع اليد عليها ليكون هذا الجرد اساسا في تقدير قيمتها.

اما العقارات المبنية فيجوز وضع اليد عليها بعد نشر مرسوم الاستملاك والقيام بالمعاملات الاتية:

آ- تقدير قيمة العقار من قبل اللجنة المنصوص عليها في المادة /12 /.
ب- تشكل الجهة المستملكة لجنة من مهندس وخبير وموظف مهمتها تنظيم محضر باوصاف البناء بحضور المالك او ممثله، ويرفق بالمحضر مايلزم من الصور الشمسية او المخططات التي تساعد على معرفة وضعية وشكل البناء ويجب ان يبلغ المالك مسبقا للحضور عند تنظيم المحضر المذكور ولابداء ملاحظاته على ان عدم حضوره في الموعد المحدد في كتاب التبليغ لايؤخر عمل اللجنة.

المادة 30

آ- يعطى شاغل العقار مهلة شهر على الاقل لاخلاء البناءالمقرر هدمه وتقوم الجهة المستملكة بتنفيذ الهدم فور انتهاء مدة الاخلاء.

ب- تطبق احكام المادة 25 من هذا المرسوم التشريعي عدا الفقرة 2 منها على الاستملاك في الحالات المستعجلة.

المادة 31

1- تقتطع الجهات الادارية والوحدات الادارية وسائر دوائر الدولة، والمؤسسات العامة للخطوط الحديدية السورية والمديرية العامة للطيران المدني والمديرية العامة للموانيء مجانا ولمرة واحدة مايعادل ربع مساحة ارض كامل العقار الذي يستملك جزئيا لشق الطرق والشوارع او توسيعها وانشاء وتوسيع البحيرات والمطارات والمرافيء والساحات والحدائق العامة والاسواق وتنفيذ مشاريع الخطوط الحديدية ومشاريع الري والشرب والنفط والغاز والكهرباء متى كان القسم المتبقي من العقار قابلا للانتفاع به، ويدفع كامل بدل الاستملاك في حالة استملاك كامل العقار، وتعتبر المساحة المسجلة في السجل العقاري بتاريخ صدور مرسوم الاستملاك اساسا لحساب البدل، اما البناء الذي يهدم بسبب الاستملاك وكذلك مازاد على ربع مساحة ارض العقار فتقدر قيمته من قبل اللجنة المنصوص عليها في المادة / 12 / من هذا المرسوم التشريعي وتدفع الى ذوي الاستحقاق.

2- يطبق اقتطاع الربع المجاني على العقار المستملك مرة واحدة فقط، ولو تناوله الاستملاك الجزئي اكثر من مرة.

3- على الرغم من الغاء القانون رقم 272 لعام 1946 وتعديلاته، ومع مراعاة الاحكام القضائية تسري ولمرة واحدة احكام الاقتطاع المجاني المنصوص عليها في القانون المذكور وتعديلاته على ماسبق واستملك بموجبه من عقارات لم تسدد قيمتها او تودع في المصرف باسم صاحب الاستحقاق حتى تاريخ نفاذ هذا المرسوم التشريعي ويشمل ذلك ايضا ماجرى استملاكه من عقارات بموجب القانون المذكور لصالح المؤسسة العامة للخطوط الحديدية السورية، وتعفى هذه المؤسسة من دفع قيمة الربع المجاني لهذه العقارات.

المادة 32

آ- عندما يتم دفع بدل الاستملاك الذي اكتسب الدرجة القطعية الى المالكين او الى اصحاب الاستحقاق، او ايداعه لمصلحتهم في المصرف امانة بدون فائدة تقوم الدائرة المستملكة بابلاغ المكتب العقاري المختص ليقوم بتسجيل العقار او جزء العقار باسم الجهة المستملكة او الاملاك العامة.

يبلغ ايداع البدل في المصرف الى المالك او احد الشركاء في ملكية العقار ببطاقة بريدية مكشوفة الى الموطن المختار من قبله في كتاب اعتراضه على القيمة البدائية او ادعائه بالملكية، ويتم التبليغ الى المالك او الشريك او الشريك بالذات او الى وكيله او مستخدمه او لمن يكون ساكنا معه من الاصول او الفروع او الزوج او الاخوة او الاخوات ممن يدل ظاهر حالهم انهم اتموا الثامنة عشرة من العمر، واذا لم يجد المأمور المكلف بالتبليغ في موطن المطلوب تبليغه من يصلح للتبيغ او امتنع من وجده عن تسلم البطاقة البريدية وجب ان يسلمها الى المختار الذي يقع موطن المطلوب تبليغه في دائرته، وفي هذه الحالة يجب على مأمور التبليغ ان يلصق بيانا على باب موطن المطلوب تبليغه يخبره فيه بان البطاقة سلمت الى المختار، وتجري هذه المعاملة بحضور المختار او اثنين من الجوار او افراد الشرطة، وتذكر كيفية التبليغ على الايصال البريدي من قبل المأمور المكلف بالتبليغ.

اما تبليغ المالك الذي لم يعترض على القيمة البدائية او لم يحدد موطنه المختار فيتم باعلان ينشر باحدى الصحف وفقا لاحكام المادة (17) من هذا المرسوم التشريعي.

ب- تنظم الجهة المستملكة بيانا بارقام العقارات التي استملك قسم منه في حدود الربع المجاني للاغراض المبينة في الفقرة / 1 / من المادة( 31 ) من هذا المرسوم التشريعي، مع بيان مساحاتها الاجمالية ومساحات الاجزاء المستملكة منها، ويودع لدى المكتب العقاري الذي يتوجب عليه ان يقوم حالا بتسجيل هذه الا قسام باسم الاملاك العامة، او الجهة المستملكة حسب الحال.

المادة 33

تصرف الامانات المودعة في المصرف بعد قيام ذوي الاستحقاق بالمعاملات القانونية وموافقة الجهة المستملكة ويسقط حق اصحابها بقبضها من المصرف بعد انقضاء خمسة عشر عاما على ايداعها فيه بحيث تعاد الى صندوق الجهة المستملكة مالم ينقطع التقادم طبقا لاحكام القانون.

المادة 34

آ- يسمح للجهات الادارية او للجهات العامة المشرفة على الاسكان اوالمختصة به في حال الاستملاك لاغراض السكن الشعبي طبقا للمادة الرابعة من هذا المرسوم التشريعي ان تدفع قيمة العقارات المستملكة الي تغلب عليها صفة الاراضي الخالية من البناء مقسطة لمدة اقصاها خمس سنوات اعتبارا من تاريخ وضع اليد على هذه العقارات او من تاريخ مضي خمس سنوات على صدور مرسوم الاستملاك ايهما اسبق، وذلك بموجب سندات مالية مضمونة منها بفائدة بسيطة مقدارها 5% سنويا معفاة من الضرئب ويتم اقرار التقسيط وتحديد مقاديره بقرار من المكتب التنفيذي في المحافظة بناء على طلب الجهة المستملكة، ويقوم تسليم السندات للمالك بهذه الطريقة مقام الدفع المنصوص عليه في هذه المرسوم التشريعي.

ب- تحدد بمرسوم طريقة اصدار السندات وتداولها واطفائها وحسمها ورهنها وتسديد ديون الجهة الادارية بها.

ج- اذا تعذر تحديد المساحة المستملكة لاي مستحق فيحسب استحقاقه بصورة مبدئية من قبل الجهة المستملكة ويجري تصحيح الاسناد الاخيرة طبقا للاستحقاقات النهائية بعد تحديد المساحات المذكورة من قبل دوائر المساحة.

د- تستثنى من حكم التقسيط العقارات المستملكة والتي لاتزيد قيمتها النهائية عن خمسة عشر الف ليرة سورية.

و- يصدر وزير الاسكان والمرافق قرارات تنظيمية يحدد فيها مواصفات المساكن الشعبية ومن يحق لهم الاستفادة من المقاسم والمساكن ويبين طريقة بيعها لهم وتسديد قيمتها والتزاماتهم تجاه الجهة المستملكة وشروط نقل ملكيتها للمشترين، ويراعى في هذه القرارات اولوية اصحاب العقارات المستملكة في استحقاق مقسم او مسكن او اكثر وفقا لمقدار حاجتهم لذلك، ثم اولوية الجمعيات التعاونية السكنية.

المادة 35

1- اذا استملكت عقارات للنفع العام وخصصت في الواقع لذلك ثم زالت صفة النفع العام عن العقارات المستملكة فتعتبر تلك العقارات من الاملاك الخاصة للدولة، ويجري تسجيلها في السجل العقاراي باسم الجهة العامة المستملكة بناء على قرار من الجهة التي كانت قد استملكت العقار او العقارات للنفع العام، ويحق لهذه الجهة التصرف بهذه العقارات بكل وجوه التصرف.

2- اذا كانت العقارات المستملكة التي زالت عنها صفة النفع العام ارضا زراعية بالاصل وتبين حين صدور قرار الجهة المستملكة بالتصرف بها بيعا وفقا لما ورد في الفقرة الاولى من هذه المادة انها مازالت ارضا زراعية صالحة للاستثمار، فيكون لمالكيها السابقين التي استملكت منهم اولوية في شرائها اذا قبلوا بالثمن الذي تحدده الجهة المستملكة.

المادة 36

1- يجوز في مناطق الاستملاك القائمة بتاريخ صدور هذا المرسوم التشريعي التي لم تسجل نتائجها في السجل العقاري وانتهى التخمين البدائي فيها، الاعلان على اصحاب الحقوق لتقديم ادعاءاتهم بالملكية او بأية حقوق عينية اخرى على عقار او اكثر من عقارات المنطقة الاستملاكية الى الجهة المستملكة.

2- يتم الاعلان وتقديم الادعاءات والبت بها من قبل لجنة حل الخلافات وفق احكام المواد ( 17 -18 -19 -20 – 21 -22 ) من هذا المرسوم التشريعي.

المادة 37

يحق للجهات الوارد ذكرها في المادتين الثانية والرابعة من هذا المرسوم التشريعي ان تحدث حقوق ارتفاقات على العقارات التي يجوز استملاكها لتنفيذ مشاريعها.

يتم احداث هذا الحق بمرسوم بناء على اقتراح الوزير المختص، لقاء تعويض يقدر وفق احكام هذا المرسوم التشريعي.

المادة 38

يمنح العاملون في اللجان المنصوص عليها في هذا المرسوم التشريعي تعويضات تحدد بقرار تنظيمي يصدر عن الوزير المختص وتستثنى هذه التعويضات المشار اليها من احكام المرسوم التشريعي رقم 167 لعام 1963 وتعديلاته اذا تم انجاز الاعمال خلال المهل المحددة لانجازها في هذا المرسوم التشريعي وتصرف من اعتمادات المشاريع الاستملاكية.

المادة 39

تتحمل الجهة المستملكة كافة نفقات الاستملاك بما في ذلك تعويضات الاخلاء واتلاف المزروعات والثمار.

المادة 40

يعفى وضع اشارة الاستملاك على الصحائف العقارية، وكذلك كافة عمليات التسجيل في السجل العقاري الناشئة عن تطبيق احكام هذا المرسوم التشريعي واعمال التحديد والتحرير من النفقات والرسوم والتكاليف العقارية والفنية.

المادة 41

يجوز لوزير العدل بناء لى اقتراح الجهة المستملكة انتداب قاض او اكثر يتفرغون لاعمال لجان حل الخلافات ولجان اعادة النظر.

المادة 42

فيما خلا الاحكام القضائية القطعية التي صدرت في منازعات الاستملاك، تسري اعتبارا من صدورهذا المرسوم التشريعي احكام الفائدة المقررة في المادة 25 منه على العقارات المستملكة قبل صدورة اذا توافرت الشروط المنصوص عليها في المادة المذكورة وتقوم هذه الفائدة محل المطالبة بأي حق في اجر المثل او طلب اعادة التقدير.

المادة 43

تسري احكام المواد 23، 24، 25 من هذا المرسوم التشريعي على العقارات المستملكة قبل تاريخ صدوره والتي لم يكتسب تقدير قيمتها الدرجة القطعية.

المادة 44

تسري احكام هذا المرسوم التشريعي على جميع الدعاوى القائمة بتاريخ صدوره، وترد دعاوى اجر المثل ودعاوى اعادة تقدير القيمة التي لم تقترن بحكم قطعي.

المادة 45

تبقى احكام القانون رقم 18 تاريخ 28-6-1971 وتعديلاته بموجب المرسوم التشريعي رقم 18 تاريخ 5-7 – 1976 والمرسوم التشريعي رقم 15 تاريخ 7- 7- 1983 نافذة المفعول.

المادة 46

يلغى القانون رقم 20 تاريخ 20 – 4 – 1974.

المادة 47

ينشر هذا المرسوم التشريعي في الجريدة الرسمية ويعتبر نافذا من تاريخ صدوره .

دمشق في 16 -11 – 1403 هـ الموافق  24-08-1983

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