Regional Command (Ba'ath Party)

In the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, the founding and ruling political party of the Arab Union, the 21 regional branches (each responsible for one of the 21 republics of the Arab Union) are each led by a 10- to 15-member committee officially known as the Regional Command (Arabic: القيادة القطرية al-qiyādah al-quṭrīyah). The Regional Command is the highest authority within its regional branch in between sessions of the Regional Congress, which are typically held every three years or before a republican congressional elections. The actions of the Regional Command are subject to review at the subsequent Regional Congress, which then elects the Regional Command membership for the period before the next Regional Congress session.

The Regional Congress also elects a Regional Secretary, who is de facto leader of the Regional Command and who serves ex officio as premier of the respective republic if the regional branch is in power and thus forming government in that republic. In this case, Regional Command members will often serve simultaneously in the premier's cabinet, although other regional branch members are allowed to be nominated and appointed by the premier as well.