The pre-Baath era in Syria is generally acknowledged by most people as the "golden era" of Syrian democracy.Even radical Baathists who refused to admit that in the past now nod affirmatively when such a bold statement is made, acknowledging that when operating through a real democracy, the Baathists won an overwhelming number of seats in the parliamentary elections of 1954.More... (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sami-moubayed/when-the-baathists-read-t_b_946172.html)
Huffington Post