In a statement from the armed groups that overthrew Bashar al-Assad, the de-facto leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Muhammad al-Jaulani) was announced as the interim president and tasked with forming a new legislative council on Wednesday.
Additionally, the Syrian constitution was declared null and void and the existing parliament was dissolved, according to the spokesperson of the military operations command, which led the blitz offensive to topple Assad on December 8.
The announcements, published by state media, were announced during a meeting of armed groups in Damascus, which fought alongside the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the offensive.
Security agencies linked to the old government are now officially being dismantled. The Baath Party of the ousted President Assad, which has already ceased its activities in Syria, along with its affiliated institutions, are no longer allowed to operate.
Ministers of the December-appointed interim government, established by the HTS, also attended the meeting.
In an interview, the Islamist al-Sharaa already stated that the drafting of a new constitution could take around three years and that an additional year would pass before elections.
Over eight weeks ago, a rebel alliance led by the sunni-islamist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) had toppled Assad in a blitz offensive. The Islamists in Syria currently enjoy the support of Western states and the EU is already in the process of relaxing sanctions against Syria.
After the most recent coup, the HTS established a transitional authority in Syria, whose elements have been waging a violent campaign against the Alawite community and other minority groups. Extrajudicial killings and abductions have become the norm in several regions.
Who is al-Jaulani?
The US had designated al-Jaulani as a terrorist in 2013. Al-Qaida in Iraq had tasked him with toppling Bashar al-Assad’s rule and introducing the Islamic sharia in Syria, it was said at the time by Washington. The Al-Nusra Front, the precursor organization of the HTS, was accused of carrying out suicide bombings, killing civilians and promoting a violent sectarian vision. To this day, there are reports that the HTS leadership maintains contacts with Al-Qaida. In the Syrian conflict, Western states and Turkey had sided with the Islamists, who were rebelling against Assad.