DAMASCUS, Syria — When Dr. Bashar Assad was summoned home to Syria to be the new heir apparent after his dashing older brother's death in 1994, the pencil-necked 28-year-old was so shy and unsure of himself that he waved off a Syrian journalist's request for a meeting with the plea, "Please, no, I am not allowed."
Within a few years, the young ophthalmologist was stepping out with more confidence, urging the regime to allow satellite TV dishes, ordering thousands of computers for Syrian schools and becoming the government's "Mr. Fix-It," untangling red tape for business executives.
This week, the transformation of Dr. Bashar, as he is widely known in Syria, was complete. Beside the coffin of his formidable father, President Hafez Assad, he graciously received assorted heads of state, Arab royalty and the imprimatur of the U.S. administration.
Blessed by the Sunni Muslim clergy and flanked by his father's Syrian lieutenants and Lebanese vassals, the young Assad assumed the mantle of authority in a process so swift and well choreographed that no one could challenge it.
Already designated commander in chief of the armed forces, Bashar Assad is expected to be named secretary-general of the ruling Baath Party at its first congress in 15 years, which begins today. The rubber-stamp parliament is expected to follow with its seal of approval June 25. From beyond the grave, Hafez Assad has assured that the nation he ruled for 30 years remains, as billboards here say, "Assad's Syria."
But will it? Although Bashar has stepped into his father's position, serious questions remain about whether the untested young man can hold on to the power he has been given. Does he possess the attributes that helped his father dominate Syria: ruthlessness, political acumen and an ability to forge essential loyalties?
An Agent of Change to Meet Need for Reform
Ordinary Syrians are eager to see changes in the Soviet-style, one-party state, with its ubiquitous security police, systematic corruption and bureaucracy that has crippled the economy. With his tastes for Western music and the Internet, Bashar Assad is presented as the agent of change by the very system that needs reforming.
"The country was shaped by his father, who was the center of the web," said a diplomat in Damascus. "Now Bashar replaces his father at the center of the web. How can he change the web without weakening his own position?"
