The interim president of Syria pledged yesterday to uphold the rights of all Syrians for five years during a transitional period while signing a provisional constitution that places the nation under the control of his group.
After longstanding President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in a rapid onslaught last December by the erstwhile Islamist insurgent organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, the country’s temporary rulers took charge. Since then, they have found it difficult to maintain control over a large portion of Syria, which is still violent and divided in territory.
Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former HTS leader, serves as the nation’s acting president. His nomination was made public following a gathering of the armed organizations that participated in the removal of al-Assad, who also decided to repeal and replace the nation’s previous constitution.
One of the seven members of the committee al-Sharaa entrusted with drafting the temporary constitution, constitutional law expert Abdulhamid Al-Awak, told a news conference on Thursday that the document retains certain elements of the previous constitution, such as the requirement that the head of state be a Muslim and the supremacy of Islamic law.
However, Al-Awak added that the temporary constitution will “balance between social security and freedom” and establish “absolute and rigid separation” between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. It also contains provisions that protect freedom of expression and the media.
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