How will the relationship between the military and the civil state be built in the new Syria?

Researcher at the Omran Center for Studies, Muhsen AlMustafa, discussed during his participation in the “Syria Today” program on Syria TV how to build the relationship between the military and the civil state in the new Syria.

He defined civil-military relations as the relationship between the army and the civilian authority that decides and oversees the army’s role, emphasizing that in modern systems, the army must be subject to civilian authority. AlMustafa pointed out that this issue carries a heavy legacy embodied in the military’s dominance over the joints of civil life, as the army was the pillar of power, and the previous regime was a comprehensive, personalist, and security-based military rule whose intervention in 2011 led to the country’s destruction. Thus, the pivotal point in shaping the new system of governance is to avoid returning to the state where the army rules.

AlMustafa believes that the current relationship after liberation is still in its early stages and is being shaped in a “hybrid” manner between guardianship and delegation, where there is a civilian leadership at the top of the hierarchy (the legitimate president) and a military defense minister. There is mutual trust between them that should, in the future, be transformed into an institutional culture governed by law and the constitution. To ensure a disciplined and balanced relationship in the new governance structure, AlMustafa calls for the creation of a uniquely Syrian national model suited to the country’s particular context (in terms of diversity and prolonged conflict) rather than importing ready-made models. He suggests that Syria is heading toward the delegation model, which includes strong civilian oversight over the military institution. This model is the most applicable, even though oversight may currently be limited due to existing trust. He stressed the need for separation of powers and an elected legislative authority capable of holding the defense minister accountable, transforming cooperation and trust into an institutional norm that ensures full civilian oversight of the military institution for disciplined implementation of strategic decisions.