Syrian transitional government
Syrian transitional government | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Date formed | 8 December 2024 |
| People and organisations | |
| President | Vacant |
| Prime Minister | Mohammed al-Bashir |
| No. of ministers | 17 |
| Member parties | HTS |
| Status in legislature | Provisional |
| History | |
| Predecessor |  Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali government |
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The Syrian transitional government (الحكومة الانتقالية السورية, romanized: al-Ḥukūmah al-Intiqāliyah as-Sūriyyah) is the incumbent transitional government of the Syrian Arab Republic.
On 8 December 2024, hours after the fall of Damascus, Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, the outgoing prime minister and last head of government of the Ba'athist regime, agreed to lead the transitional government in a caretaking capacity.[1] He then transferred power to Mohammed al-Bashir, prime minister of the Syrian Salvation Government, two days later.[2] On 10 December, the transitional administration announced that it would remain in place until 1 March 2025, with all ministers from the Syrian Salvation Government taking up their same posts in the new transitional government.[3]
Background
[edit]Formation
[edit].svg){kind=spacer}
Top: Syrian revolutionary flag
Bottom: Tawhid flag
Ahmed al-Sharaa, leader of the Syrian Salvation Government, stated on Telegram that Syrian public institutions would not immediately be taken over by force, and would instead temporarily be held by Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali until the full political transition was completed. Al-Jalali announced in a social media video that he planned to stay in Damascus and cooperate with the Syrian people, while expressing hope that Syria could become "a normal country" and begin to engage in diplomacy with other nations.[8][9] Jalali also expressed his readiness to "extend its hand" to the opposition.[10]
Hadi al-Bahra, president of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, said that an 18-month transitional period was needed to establish "a safe, neutral, and quiet environment" for free elections. This period includes six months to draft a new constitution. This transition, according to al-Bahra, should be in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254.[11]
The Prime Minister of the Syrian Salvation Government, Mohammed Al-Bashir, was tasked on 9 December with forming the new Syrian government during the transitional period.[2] He was expected to hold the position until 1 March 2025.[12] The ministers of the Salvation Government were expected to shift to their corresponding roles in the transitional government.[13]
Gender balance
[edit]The initial prime minister and cabinet, of 10 December 2024, together consisted of twelve men and no women.[14][15][16] As of 21 December 2024[update], it had extended to sixteen men and no women.[17][18][19][20] On 22 December, Aisha al-Dibs, a human rights activist, was appointed as the first woman minister in the cabinet, as head of the Women's Affairs Office.[21]
The previous Ba'athist cabinet[22] was also very male dominated, with three female ministers, Lubanah Mshaweh, Diala Barakat, and Lamia Chakkour, out of 29 ministers.
On 18 December, HTS spokesperson Obaida Arnaout gave an interview in which he stated that "the essence of women and their biological and psychological nature do not fit all positions, such as the Ministry of Defense"[23] and "As for women's representation in ministerial and parliamentary roles, we believe that this matter is premature and should be left to legal and constitutional experts who will work on rethinking the structure of the new Syrian state."[24] Arnaout's 18 December statements were interpreted by historian Juan Cole as implying a ban against women being members of parliament or ministers or the prime minister. Researcher Milena Zain al-Din from Damascus University disagreed with the spokesperson's statement, stating, "We, the young women and women of Syria, are activists, politicians, human rights advocates, journalists, economists, academics, workers, and homemakers. ... Obeida Arnaout's rhetoric is unacceptable. The Syrian woman, who has struggled and endured alongside millions of Syrian women, is not waiting for you to choose a place or role for her that aligns with your mindset for building our nation."[23] There was "widespread criticism" online in reaction to Arnaout's statement.[24]
Policies
[edit]Economic reforms
[edit]Minister for the Economy Basil Abdul Aziz stated that there were plans to shift from a more state-controlled economic model towards a stronger free-market model, with a liberalisation of import-export controls. Registration with the Damascus Chambers of Commerce would be considered sufficient authorisation to import goods and the previously required approvals and permissions from the Central Bank of Syria (CBS) would no longer be needed. Business leaders interviewed by Reuters described the promised changes as encouraging. The government stated that reconstruction investment was to be a priority, with civil war damage estimated in the tens of billions of dollars.[25] A source from the central bank and two commercial bank sources, speaking with Reuters, said that on 10 December banks would reopen and that staff had been asked to return. The Ministry of Oil and Mineral Resources told employes to return to work the same day, with Deutsche Welle stating that the ministry had added "protection would be provided to ensure their safety".[26]
The transitional ministry of transport said that Syrian airspace would be reopened to air traffic and added that it would announce the resumption of Damascus and Aleppo international airports.[27] On 16 December the Central Bank abolished the pre-existing import financing platform and announced that importers could finance the import of materials through their own sources if they did not conflict with domestic and international money-laundering laws. The CBS said importers no longer needed to visit the bank or obtain approval for importing goods and notified that exports no longer required obtaining a prior "export pledge" (تعهد تصدير).[28] That week it was reported that the Syrian pound had appreciated against foreign currencies; reaching 10,000 SYP to USD in some areas due to the return of displaced people in northern areas and diaspora, leading to increased amounts of foreign currency inflows. This resulted in prices of commodities including foodstuffs decreasing. The Central Bank of Syria raised the buying exchange rate to 15,000 SYP to USD, 15,760.50 to EUR, and 428.97 TYR.[29] On 18 December the CBS said that ATM and electronic payment services were resumed, and directed banks to monitor withdrawal operations for what it said were temporary measures.[30]
Administrative reforms
[edit]The transitional government began implementing administrative reforms immediately after taking control of Damascus. Mohammad Yasser Ghazal, a technocrat from the Syrian Salvation Government, was appointed to oversee the restructuring of the Damascus governorate, with plans to serve as city council president. The new administration began reviewing departmental functions and addressing issues of bureaucratic inefficiency inherited from the previous government.[31]
Initial reforms focused on streamlining government services and addressing corruption. The transitional authorities found numerous inefficient departments and positions, including redundant administrative divisions. The new government emphasized the digitization of services, citing the example of ID processing, which they had already implemented in Idlib. They also began addressing issues of phantom jobs and systemic corruption that had developed under the previous administration, where government employees had been receiving approximately $25 per month in salary;[31] which are to be increased to SSG government minimum wages of $100.[32]
The administrative transition included meetings between outgoing department heads and new officials to understand and reform existing bureaucratic structures. Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir convened meetings between SSG ministers and former regime officials to facilitate the transfer of power to the new caretaker government.[31] The transitional government includes numerous senior officials from Idlib governorate, which Reuters said raised concerns over inclusiveness from opposition sources. Policemen from Idlib were brought to Damascus to direct traffic,[32] while on 13 December the transitional government's Department of Military Operations declared a curfew in Homs Governorate.[33]
Constitutional transition
[edit]A spokesman of the transitional government speaking to Agence France-Presse said that during the government's three-month term the constitution and parliament would remain suspended. Also adding that a 'judicial and human rights committee' would be established to review the constitution prior to making amendments.[34] Al-Sharaa stated to Al Jazeera that the choices of governance will be discussed among a group of experts; then, public elections would be held to make the final choice.[35]
Foreign affairs
[edit]After the fall of Bashar al-Assad, the governments of Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman, Turkey, Italy and France resumed diplomatic missions in Syria.[36] The new government met diplomats from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the European Union in the days immediately following the fall of the al-Assad regime.[37] They met with diplomats from the United States on 20 December 2024.[38]
Defense
[edit]Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Bashir has said the defense ministry would be restructured using former rebel factions and officers who defected from Assad’s army.[37] Murhaf Abu Qasra (Abu Hassan al-Hamawi)[39], the military commander of Tahir al-Sham said to The Economist, "All military units will naturally transition to the ministry of defence, forming a unified army tasked with protecting the nation on behalf of all Syrians." The Economist added that "[h]e insists that there will be no place in the new Syria for jihadists eager to launch attacks".[40] Abu Qasra, speaking with AFP, said that HTS would be "among the first to take the initiative" to dissolve its armed wing for a national army.[39]
Members
[edit]Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammad al-Bashir told Al Jazeera that "for the time being" ministers from the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG) would head national ministries.[41]
Cooperation with other Syrian authorities
[edit]As of 11 December 2024[update], leaders of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the military forces of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, were preparing for "negotiations that would create a broader-based Syrian government that is not under al-Julani's control". Leaders of the Southern Operations Room met with al-Julani on 11 December and expressed interest in "coordination", a "unified effort" and "cooperation", without stating that they would support the HTS transitional government.[42]
On 18 December, the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (SNC), which operates the Syrian Interim Government in Turkish-occupied zones expressed its support for al-Bashir's government. The SNC called for a national conference and for the formation of a government that would be "inclusive of all groups" and "represent all Syrian components".[43]
See also
[edit]- Politics of Syria
- Syrian civil war
- National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces
- Syrian Interim Government
- Syrian Salvation Government
- Foreign relations of the Syrian opposition
- International recognition of the Syrian National Council
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Syrian prime minister says government is still functioning but foreign and domestic challenges loom". WHNT.com. 9 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ a b c "Mohammed al-Bashir assigned to form new Syrian government". Ammon News. 9 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- ^ "Mohammed al-Bashir officially the head of the transitional government in Syria until March 2025". Independent Arabia. 10 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- ^ "رئيس حكومة تصريف الأعمال السورية: مهمتنا ضبط الأمن والحفاظ على استقرار المؤسسات وتقديم الخدمات الأساسية للشعب".
- ^ "img.i-scmp.com". 11 December 2024.
- ^ "Video: Syrian rebel leader speaks to CNN in exclusive interview". CNN. 6 December 2024.
- ^ "Mohammed al Bashir appointed caretaker Syrian PM for transitional government until March". Lebanon Broadcasting Corporation International.
- ^ "Syria latest: 'The future is ours,' says rebel leader after Assad flees Damascus". BBC News. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ^ "Opposition forces impose curfew in Syrian capital Damascus". bne IntelliNews. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ^ Michaelson, Ruth. "Bashar al-Assad reported to have fled Syria as rebels say they have captured Damascus claim". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ^ "Syrian opposition leader says state institutions will be preserved in 18-month transition". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
- ^ "Mohamed al-Bashir appointed caretaker Syrian PM for transitional government until March". Reuters. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- ^ "الحكومة السورية الانتقالية برئاسة البشير تتسلم مقاليد السلطة في دمشق". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 10 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Syrian Transitional Government Officially Established, L24, 11 December 2024, Wikidata Q131451006, archived from the original on 15 December 2024
- ^ a b c d e f "What to know about Syria's new caretaker government". aljazeera.com. 15 December 2024. Wikidata Q131451019. Archived from the original on 15 December 2024.
- ^ a b Dadouch, Sarah; Jalabi, Raya (12 December 2024). "Syria's acting finance minister pushes plan to revive war-torn economy". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 12 December 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
- ^ a b Widespread Condemnation of Sharaa's Brother Appointment as Minister of Health & Rejection of His Condescending Rhetoric Towards Revolutionary Organizations, The Syrian Observer, 19 December 2024, Wikidata Q131522512, archived from the original on 21 December 2024
- ^ a b "Electricity Minister inspects work at Tishreen Thermal Power Plant". Syrian Arab News Agency. 19 December 2024. Archived from the original on 21 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Appointment of Asaad Hassan al-Sheybani as Foreign Minister in the Syrian Transitional Government". Erem News (in Arabic). 21 December 2024. Archived from the original on 21 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Women will play a key role in a new Syria, says minister". Al Jazeera English. 22 December 2024. Wikidata Q131541454. Archived from the original on 23 December 2024.
- ^ "Syria's Assad appoints a new cabinet". Reuters. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ a b Syria's New Fundamentalist Government: Women 'biologically' Unsuited to Politics, Universities to be Segregated, Juan Cole, 20 December 2024, Wikidata Q131520779, archived from the original on 20 December 2024
- ^ a b "Hundreds of Syrians in Damascus demand the inclusion of women in political work". Hawar News Agency. 19 December 2024. Wikidata Q131520760. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024.
- ^ a b Timour Azhari (10 December 2024), Exclusive: Syria's new rulers back shift to free-market economy, business leader says, Reuters, Wikidata Q131421935, archived from the original on 10 December 2024
- ^ "What's next for Syria's devastated economy?". dw.com. DW. 10 December 2024. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ فرحات, مصطفى; درويش, عبد الصمد; خليل, ماهر باكير; قروي, منذر (12 December 2024). "سوريا ما بعد الأسد.. تجميد الدستور والبرلمان وفتح الأجواء أمام حركة الطيران". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ "مصرف سوريا المركزي يلغي منصة تمويل المستوردات ويسمح بمصادر التمويل الخاصة" [Central Bank of Syria cancels import financing platform and allows private sources of financing]. Syria TV (in Arabic). 16 December 2024.
- ^ "مصرف سوريا المركزي يرفع سعر صرف الدولار مقابل الليرة السورية" [The Central Bank of Syria raises the exchange rate of the dollar against the Syrian pound]. Syria TV (in Arabic). 17 December 2024.
- ^ "مصرف سوريا المركزي يعيد تشغيل الصرافات الآلية وخدمات الدفع الإلكتروني" [The Central Bank of Syria restarts ATMs and electronic payment services]. Syria TV (in Arabic). 18 December 2024.
- ^ a b c Jalabi, Raya; Dadouch, Sarah (11 December 2024). "The department of flags: Syrian rebels lay bare Assad's corrupt state". Financial Times. Damascus. Archived from the original on 11 December 2024. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ a b Azhari, Timour; Gebeily, Maya; Perry, Tom (12 December 2024). "Syrian rebel leader, after Assad's ouster, puts his own stamp on the state". Reuters.
- ^ فرحات, مصطفى; درويش, عبد الصمد; خليل, ماهر باكير; قروي, منذر (12 December 2024). "سوريا ما بعد الأسد.. تجميد الدستور والبرلمان وفتح الأجواء أمام حركة الطيران". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ "Syria's new govt says to suspend constitution, parliament for three months". Brecorder. AFP. 12 December 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
- ^ Ahmed Al-Sharaa: The form of authority in #Syria is left to the decisions of experts and legal experts, and the Syrian people are the ones who decide; The next rule will include elections; We will form committees and councils concerned with re-studying the constitution; Efficiency and ability are the basis for evaluation in the next state (in Arabic). 14 December 2024. Al Jazeera Arabic Syria. X Archived 14 December 2024 at Ghost Archive
- ^ "7 دول عربية وتركيا وإيطاليا تجدد علاقاتها الدبلوماسية مع سوريا | الحرة". www.alhurra.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ a b "France returns flag to Damascus embassy as new Syria authorities build contacts with West". Arab News. 17 December 2024.
- ^ Pamuk, Humeyra; Ismail, Amina; Lewis, Simon (20 December 2024). "US held 'very productive' first meeting with Syria's al-Sharaa". Reuters. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Syria ex-rebel military chief says to dissolve armed wing". France 24. 17 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ "An interview with the military commander of Syria's new masters". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ Al Jazeera Staff. "What to know about Syria's new caretaker government". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ Johanna Moore; Andie Parry; Kelly Campa; et al. (12 December 2024), Iran Update, December 11, 2024, Institute for the Study of War, Wikidata Q131451072, archived from the original on 16 December 2024
- ^ "Syrian coalition calls for 'comprehensive, non-sectarian' transitional government". Middle East Monitor. 18 December 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
