The former leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Ahmed al-Sharaa, has been appointed as the transitional president of Syria following the recent toppling of former president Bashar al-Assad. This appointment, announced by a military spokesperson on Wednesday, marks a significant shift in the country’s leadership and governance.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has been acting as the de-facto leader of Syria since early December, was appointed after a meeting of rebel faction leaders. The announcement also included several other major changes: the dissolution of Syria’s parliament, the formation of an appointed legislative council, and the cancellation of the country’s 2012 constitution. Syria’s military and security agencies are also being dissolved and replaced by new security institutions and a national army.
All armed factions in Syria are to be disbanded and absorbed into the new national army. While the order did not specifically name HTS, it is implied that HTS, as the de-facto authority, will also be included.
Sharaa outlined the country’s priorities as “filling the power vacuum, preserving civil peace, and building state institutions.” The transitional government is supposed to hand over power to a new government in March, though the specifics of this transition remain unclear. In an interview with Al Arabiya last month, Sharaa mentioned that holding elections could take up to four years, and rewriting the country’s constitution could take three.
Sharaa has promised to hold a national dialogue conference to ensure the post-Assad era is inclusive of all facets of Syrian society, but this event has been delayed multiple times. His meetings have been predominantly with individuals rather than political parties.
The dissolution of military factions is a sensitive issue. HTS, originally an offshoot of the Syrian branch of al-Qaida, became Syria’s most powerful rebel group by the time it launched the military campaign to topple the Assad regime. Under HTS’s guidance, a patchwork of opposition factions participated in the military operation.
In mid-January, the Syrian ministry of defense announced that it would hold consultations with factions to form a unified military. This process faces challenges as more radical Islamist rebel factions, many of which are part of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army, differ in discipline and ideology from HTS. The fall of the Assad regime also left weapons caches, tanks, and artillery available, some of which have fallen into rebel hands.
Sharaa and the minister of defense have been holding near-daily meetings with rebel factions, giving their leaders key posts in the interim government, such as provincial governors. Restoring the Syrian state’s monopoly on violence is seen as critical to maintaining internal stability.
Foreign powers are closely watching Syria’s trajectory towards stability, wary of a scenario similar to Libya, where mass lawlessness followed the toppling of longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi. The interim government has sought regional support to bolster its fledgling state and army, seeking foreign funds and legitimacy. The new government’s first foreign trip was to Saudi Arabia, followed by Turkey, with the foreign minister, defense minister, and director of intelligence in attendance.
Negotiations with the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led military force controlling a third of the country, are ongoing. The SDF has requested a degree of military independence within the new Syrian army, which the government has refused. Meanwhile, conflict between the SDF and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army continues to escalate in northern Syria.
The appointment of Ahmed al-Sharaa as transitional president of Syria and the associated governance changes mark a pivotal moment in the country’s history. As the transitional government works to consolidate power and navigate complex internal and external challenges, the path towards stability remains fraught with difficulties. The international community will be closely monitoring these developments to assess Syria’s future trajectory.
