 Complete the following phrase:  Bashar al-Assad, the 19th President of Syria, took power in a referendum in 2000 following the death of his father Hafez al-Assad, who had ruled Syria for 30 years. Assad also inherited the role of leader of the ruling party: the Regional Secretary of the Syrian Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Baath Party. He received 97.29 and 97.6 support, respectively, in the uncontested and undemocratic 2000 and 2007 elections. 