▁Sy rian ▁Arab ▁Republic . ▁The ▁e ighth ▁article ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution ▁st ip ulated ▁that ▁"[ t ] he ▁leading ▁party ▁in ▁the ▁society ▁and ▁the ▁state ▁is ▁the ▁... ▁Ba ' ath ▁Party . ▁It ▁leads ▁the ▁National ▁Progress ive ▁Front ▁seeking ▁to ▁un ify ▁the ▁resources ▁of ▁the ▁masses ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁and ▁place ▁them ▁at ▁the ▁service ▁of ▁the ▁goals ▁of ▁the ▁Arab ▁nation ". ▁The ▁Constitution ▁was ▁adopted ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 . ▁As ▁per ▁the ▁Constitution ▁of ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁Arab ▁Republic , ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁Regional ▁Command ▁of ▁the ▁party ▁that ▁nomin ates ▁the ▁candidate ▁for ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁republic . ▁The ▁Constitution ▁does ▁not ▁explicitly ▁say ▁that ▁the ▁president ▁has ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁party , ▁but ▁the ▁National ▁Progress ive ▁Front ▁( N PF ) ▁char ter ▁states ▁that ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁Arab ▁Republic ▁and ▁the ▁secretary ▁of ▁the ▁party ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁N PF . ▁ ▁The ▁party ▁has ▁domin ated ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁parliament ▁since ▁ 1 9 6 3 . ▁The ▁party ▁leads ▁the ▁National ▁Progress ive ▁Front ▁and ▁in ▁all ▁elections ▁conducted ▁under ▁this ▁constitution ▁has ▁obtained ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 6 7 ▁parliament ary ▁seats ▁reserved ▁for ▁the ▁Front . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁parliament ary ▁election , ▁the ▁party ▁secured ▁ 1 3 5 ▁of ▁the ▁seats . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁the ▁mid - 2 0 0 0 s , ▁the ▁party ▁membership ▁in