Syrian factions that overthrew the president Bashar Assad Last month, on Wednesday appointed a former Islamist rebellious chief as an acting president of the country in a push to project a united front while they are faced with the monumental task of reconstruction Syria After almost 14 years of civil war.
The former insurgents also rejected the Constitution of Syria, adopted under Assad, saying that a new charter would soon be written.
The appointment of Ahmad al-Sharaa, which was once aligned with Al-Qaida, as president of Syria “in the transitional phase” came after a meeting of the old insurgent factions of Damascus, the Syrian capital.
The announcement was made by the spokesman for the new military operations of the de facto government of Syria, Colonel Hassan Abdul Ghani, announced the Sana news agency managed by the State. The exact mechanism under which the factions have selected Al-Sharra as an interim president was not clear.
Formerly known as Abu Mohammed Al-Golani, Al-Sharaa is the chief of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, who led the lightning offensive that overthrew Assad in early December. The group was once affiliated with Al-Qaida but has since denounced its former links.
In recent years, Al-Sharaa has sought to start as a champion of pluralism and tolerance and has promised to protect the rights of women and religious minorities.
The United States had previously placed a bonus of US $ 10 million on Al-Sharaa, but canceled it last month after a US delegation visited Damascus and met him. Top American diplomat for the Middle East, Barbara Leaf said after the meeting that Al-Sharaa had appeared as “pragmatic”.
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Speaking at Wednesday’s meeting, Al-Sharaa, who was in military uniform, underlined the “heavy task and great responsibility” with which the new leaders of Syria are confronted.
“If the winner is arrogant after his victory and forgets Allah’s favor over Him, that will lead him to tyranny,” he said, according to a video published a few hours later.
Among the priorities for reconstruction of Syria, he said, “will fulfill the vacuum of power legitimately and legally” and “maintain civil peace by looking for transitional justice and preventing the attacks of revenge” following the reign Disastrous by Assad.
The Syrians went down to the streets of Damascus and elsewhere to celebrate the announcement, horny car horns and, in some cases, pulling in the air. Many have expressed their support for Al-Sharaa.
“This person is someone who is intelligent and has a good understanding and he was the leader of the battle who released Syria,” said Abdallah al-Sweid, who were one of those who celebrated Omeyyad in Damascus . “He is someone who deserves to be president.”
Others – even those who had rejoiced at the eviction of Assad – seemed to criticize the way in which the appointment was made and the lack of clarity on the following steps.
“The problem is not in decisions. The problem is at the time, previous promises and confusion, “said Mohammad Salim Alkhateb, an official of the national coalition of the Syrian Revolution and the opposition forces – a group formed by members of the opposition to Assad in exile.
Qatar was the first to react to the appointment of Al-Sharaa, which had been planned, saying that it had welcomed decisions aimed at “improving consensus and unity among all the Syrian parties”. The press release added that this should help open the way to a “peaceful transfer of power thanks to a full political process”.
The Western nations, although they moved to restore links with Damascus after Assad has been overthrown, are still somewhat circumspect with regard to the new Islamist leaders in Syria.
Abdul Ghani, the spokesman, also announced Wednesday that the Constitution of Syria – adopted in 2012, under the reign of Assad – had been canceled. He said that Al-Sharaa would be authorized to form a temporary legislative council until a new constitution is written.
All the armed factions of the country would be dissolved, said Abdul Ghani, and would be absorbed by state institutions.
Since the fall of Assad, HTS has become the de facto power party and has set up an interim government largely made up of local government officials which he previously directed in Idlib province held by the rebels.
The interim authorities have promised that they would launch an inclusive process to create a new government and a new constitution, in particular by convening a national conference of dialogue and by inviting the different communities of Syria, although no date has been set .
While the former Syrian army collapsed with the fall of Assad, Al-Sharaa called for the creation of a new unified national army and the security forces, but the questions took advantage of the way in which the Interim administration can bring together a patchwork of former rebel groups, each with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs Theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with the With theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with theirs with the them leaders and ideology.
Even Nottier is the question of the Kurdish groups supported by the United States which has cut an autonomous enclave at the start of the civil war of Syria, never moving fully with the government of Assad or the rebels seeking to overthrow it. Since the fall of Assad, there has been an escalation in the clashes between the Kurdish forces and the armed groups supported by the Turks allied with HTS in northern Syria.
On Wednesday, the Syrian democratic forces led by the Kurds were not present at the Wednesday meeting of the country’s armed factions and there was no immediate comment from the group.
During the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos this month, Asaad Al-Shibani, the new Foreign Minister of Syria and head of the HTS, said the country needed the international community aid While he begins to rebuild after the brutal civil war.
–Sewell reported to Beirut.
& Copy 2025 the Canadian press
