NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Syria inaugurated a young new president today. But there is little indication Bashar Al-Assad is ready to turn his back on his late father's legacy. Here's CNN's Brent Sadler from Damascus.</s>BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Syria's new president, Bashar Al-Assad, wastes no time in establishing his style of leadership, officially starting a seven-year term in office, enjoying rapturous, if predictable, praise from parliament. Swearing an oath of allegiance to the constitution, he formally becomes Syria's 16th president. Top of his agenda at home is to reform what he denounces as an outdated and mismanaged economy, chiding all Syrians for failure.</s>BASHAR AL-ASSAD, PRESIDENT OF SYRIA (through translator): We have to start with maximum speed to begin the right studies that would change the reality for the better by developing laws, regulations and the structures to end the state of apathy. We want to fight those who don't do their jobs, those careless ones who are harmful and corrupt.</s>SADLER: Live TV coverage of his inaugural speech aims to convince the Syrian masses his drive for modernization can succeed. Under a giant portrait of the late president, Hafez Al-Assad, his son reaffirms a willingness to make peace with Israel on condition, like his father, there will be no territorial compromise over the Israeli- captured Golan Heights.</s>AL-ASSAD (through translator): We are not ready to pay the price for the Israeli government's inability to make the necessary decisions that would push the peace process forward. It will not be at the expense of our sovereignty and dignity.</s>SADLER (on camera): Syria has a new leader who seems intent on dragging his nation out of the economic doldrums, but his reform- minded energy is up against a system here which in the past has been resilient to radical change. Brent Sadler, CNN, Damascus.
Bashar Assad Sworn in as Syrian President