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Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has been named president for the “transitional period”, the country’s state media announced on January 29.
The announcement came during an event, entitled the “Conference for Announcing the Victory of the Syrian Revolution,” in the capital Damascus. The event was attended by the commanders of armed factions who took part in the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham-led offensive that overthrew the Assad regime last month.
Addressing the commanders, Sharaa stressed that Syria’s new leadership faced a “heavy task and a great responsibility”.
Syria’s first priority was to “fill the power vacuum in a legitimate and legal way,” Sharaa said, adding that civil peace should be maintained by “seeking transitional justice and preventing revenge attacks”.
He also called for state institutions, particularly the military, security agencies and police, and economic infrastructure to be rebuilt.
During the same event, military commander Hassan Abdul Ghani, the spokesman for the rebel coalition, also announced the cancellation of Syria’s 2012 constitution and the dissolution of the former regime’s Ba’ath Party, parliament, army and security agencies.
As president, Sharaa would form an interim legislative council to help govern until a new constitution was approved, Abdul Ghani said.
All rebel groups which opposed Assad in the 13-year civil war, including HTS, would be dissolved and integrated into state institutions, he added.
The announcements made during the event did not say when a new legislative body might be picked, or provide any new details for a timeline for the transition.
Qatar, a key backer of the new Syrian government, issued a statement after the declaration welcoming “moves to restructure the Syrian state and boost consensus and unity among all its parties”.
The very next day, January 30, the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani became the first Arab leader to visit Damascus and meet with Sharaa.
While officials did not disclose the goals of the visit, Syrian media say discussions are likely to focus on reconstruction and economic cooperation. The visit follows meetings between Syrian and Qatari officials, including a trip to Damascus by Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani earlier this month.
Sharaa appears to have thus far succeeded in solidifying his control over the rule in Damascus with unrest and violence on decline. However, his administration still faces several problems, from the Israeli invasion of southern Syria, to the United States-backed Kurdish forces in the east and the de-facto autonomy in the Druze-majority governorate of al-Suwayda in the south. Both Turkey and Russia also continue to maintain sizable military forces in the war-torn country.
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why is he flying the former french colonial flag same as those morons did in libya?
because lybia and syria are now officially colonized by turkey and their israeli masters.
legalities to appear as if napoleon wasn’t an emperor
dystopian ceremony to indoctrinate the masses. cia / mossad / mi6 got all photo opps they wanted to sell the story that so the world would believe this person belongs in this position. dictatorship is dictatorship.
they didn’t like assad because he didn’t have a beard.
we must support the un ited kingdom come . one worldwide kingdom. that’s the future. no more mr washington hello your majesty..
so many terrorist filth in one spot and no cruise missile to wipe them out? – shame!
shame on russia but also on iran for missing this opportunity to completely wipe out the anti-human sectarian pro-zionist terrorist scourge!