Syria’s interim president al-Sharaa vows to uphold ‘civil peace’
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RDA Gulf Correspondent - . January 31, 2025
- . Update: January 31, 2025 4:44 pm
Syria’s newly appointed president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, said he will form an inclusive transitional government that will represent diverse communities, build institutions, and run the country until free and fair elections are held.
Addressing the nation for the first time since his appointment as president for the transitional period by armed factions, al-Sharaa said he would form a small legislative body to fill the parliamentary void until new elections were held, as per reports.
He added that in the coming days, he would announce the formation of a committee that will work towards holding a national dialogue conference and discuss the future political program of the nation. That would be followed by a “constitutional declaration,” he said, referencing the process of drafting a new Syrian constitution.
The armed group, that ousted former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a lightning offensive Hayat Tahrir al-Sham last year, has since set up an interim government. The new administration welcomed several senior Western and Arab diplomatic delegations looking to help stabilize the country after 13 years of civil war.
Earlier this week, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani became the first head of state to visit Damascus, Syria’s capital, and hold a meeting with Sharaa.
“The Syrian people won’t forget Qatar’s committed position while we open a new chapter in a new Syria,” Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani said, responding to the Qatari Emir’s visit.
Additionally, delegations from Russia, including Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Alexander Lavrentiev, Russia’s special envoy for Syria, and the Palestinian Authority, including Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, also visited Syria.
Sharaa is facing the mammoth task of forming a temporary legislative council for the transitional period after the previous parliament was dissolved. Earlier, Sharaa informed that the process of drafting a new constitution and holding elections in Syria may take up to four years, according to Reuters.
