Baath Party nominates Syria's Assad for 2nd term

DAMASCUS, May 10 (Reuters) Syria's ruling Baath Party nominated President Bashar al-Assad today for a second term he is widely expected to win in a referendum next month.

''Parliament approved the proposal unanimously but, as a constitutional procedure, a committee has to meet and recommend to the chamber tomorrow (Friday) to pass it,'' parliament member Fadia Deeb told Reuters.

Formal parliamentary approval is followed by a referendum at the end of June to elect Assad for another seven-year term.

The 41-year-old president, the only candidate standing, is expected to win the referendum overwhelmingly. He won the first vote in July 2000 by 97.29 per cent.

Assad succeeded his late father, Hafez al-Assad, in 2000. The Baath party has ruled Syria since taking power in a coup in 1963.

Hassan Abdel Azeem, a dissident lawyer, said it was time for the government to allow candidates other than Assad to contest the vote.

''The constitution must change to end the Baath's monopoly on power,'' Abdel Azeem told Souria-Alghad Web site. ''We need a system that elects a president from several candidates and allows peaceful rotation of power.'' REUTERS AK PM2155