Ahmad al-Shara Introduces Members of New Transitional Government in Syria

Ahmad al-Shara, the interim president of Syria, introduced the members of the new transitional government in the country; his close allies remain in key positions, and there is also one woman in the transitional government. The ceremony to introduce the members of the transitional government, which replaces the interim government, was held on Saturday evening, April 9, in Damascus. In the new cabinet, Ahmad al-Shara's associates remain in key positions, including As'ad al-Shibani as foreign minister and Marhaf Abou Qasra as defense minister. Anas Khattab, who has recently headed the intelligence organization, has been appointed as Syria's interior minister. The new rulers of Syria have been pressured by the West and Arab countries to form an inclusive government that includes various ethnic and religious communities in the country. According to Reuters, this pressure increased after the massacre of hundreds of Alawite civilians in western Syria in March. Ahmad al-Shara also issued an appointment for a woman for the first time; Hind Qabwat has been appointed as the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor in the new transitional government. Ms. Qabwat is from the Christian minority in Syria and was a long-time opponent of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, the ousted president of the country. In the new transitional government, Raed Saleh, the leader of the 'White Helmets,' rescuers who operated in rebel-controlled areas, has been appointed as the minister of emergency and disaster management. Ahmad al-Shara, nicknamed al-Jolani, appointed Mohammad al-Bashir as the prime minister of the interim government a few days after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 1403. In the new transitional government, there is no position for a prime minister, and it appears that the executive affairs are directly in the hands of Ahmad al-Shara. Mohammad al-Bashir has also been appointed as the minister of energy. The new rulers of Syria had promised to introduce the transitional government on March 1, but the ceremony was held with a few weeks' delay. The transitional government is also being formed while about two weeks ago, Ahmad al-Shara, the interim president of Syria, signed the 'temporary constitutional declaration' for a five-year transitional period. Some experts and human rights groups have warned that this constitutional declaration keeps power concentrated in the hands of Ahmad al-Shara and does not provide support for minorities. Kurdish forces, which control parts of northeastern Syria, have also described this constitutional declaration as 'inconsistent with the realities and diversity in Syria.' Rebels led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, headed by al-Jolani, who is now referred to as Ahmad al-Shara, launched surprise attacks in northwestern Syria on December 7 last year and ended Bashar al-Assad's regime with their entry into Damascus on the morning of December 18.