Former al Qaeda member Ahmed al-Sharaa named Syria's transitional president
What's the story
Ahmed al-Sharaa has been named the interim president of Syria after a meeting of armed factions that were involved in the offensive that toppled President Bashar al-Assad last month. Along with the presidential appointment, it was also announced that Syria's constitution has been suspended. The former al Qaeda member, who led the campaign against Assad, is now tasked with setting up a temporary legislative council until a new constitution is adopted.
Political restructuring
Armed factions dissolved
Hassan Abdel Ghani, spokesperson for the new de facto government's military operations sector, also announced the dissolution of all armed factions. "All military factions are dissolved... and integrated into state institutions," he said. The Baath Party, which ruled Syria under Assad for decades, has also been disbanded along with the defunct regime's army and security agencies.
New governance
Al-Sharaa's group becomes de facto governing party
However, Al-Sharaa's group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was instrumental in the offensive, was not named in the order calling for the dissolution of armed factions. After the offensive, Al-Sharaa had promised a political transition with a national conference and an inclusive government culminating in elections. He said these elections could take up to four years to organize. But doubts remain about how the interim administration would bring together former opposition rebel factions, each with their own leaders and ideas.
International reaction
Qatar supports Syria's political transition
In addition to its efforts to consolidate power internally, the transitional government has been engaging in negotiations with the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led military force that is backed by the United States. The SDF has requested a degree of military autonomy within the new Syrian army, which the government has refused. Meanwhile, Qatar has backed these developments in Syria, welcoming "moves to restructure the Syrian state and boost consensus and unity among all its parties."