What you need to know about Syria’s new interim government | Syria War News

Leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and commander-in-chief of the new administration after the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Ahmad al-SharaaMohammed al-Bashir has been appointed to head the interim government until March 1.

Experts told Al Jazeera that the move aims to stabilize the country by providing basic services to civilians and preventing power struggles between armed groups over state resources and ministries.

“An interim government is needed to ensure that the state continues to function and that people have electricity, running water and internet,” said Thomas Pierret, a Syria expert at the Institute for Research and Studies in the Arab and Muslim World.

However, the interim government and HTS could lose credibility if they refuse to share power after three months, experts warn.

Here’s what we know about the interim government and its leader:

Who is Muhammad al-Bashir?

The head of the interim government is a technocrat who heads the Salvation Army (SAG) in Syria’s northwest Idlib province.

After the Syrian uprising in March 2011, Idlib became a stronghold of the opposition. By 2017, HTS had consolidated control and formed the SSG from civilian technocrats.

“Mohammed al-Bashir … has done quite well in Idlib,” said Robin Yassin-Kassab, a Syria expert and co-author of The Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War.

“I understand that it makes sense to extend (the Salvation Government) to all of Syria for now,” he added.

Analysts say al-Bashir’s experience in electrical engineering, project management and administrative planning shows he has the expertise to maintain essential services in the country.

According to the interim government’s official website, he first became a minister in the HTS-backed Government of Liberation in 2021.

According to Asad Al Achi, executive director of Baytna, a non-governmental organization that supports local civil society groups in Syria throughout the war, he served as director of development and humanitarian affairs for two years.

“He was definitely interested in humanitarian work because that’s where the money was,” said Al Achi, referring to the SSG’s policy of taxing aid organizations.

On January 13, 2024, the Shura Council in Idlib elected al-Bashir as prime minister of the SDF.

Who are the other ministers?

Al-Bashir told Al Jazeera Arabic that for the time being, ministers from the SSG will take over the national portfolio. The current cabinet is as follows:

• Interior Minister Mohammad Abdul Rahman
• Bazel Abdul Aziz, Minister of Economy and Resources
• Minister of Information Muhammad Yaqub al-Omar
• Minister of Justice Shadi Mohammed al-Waisi
• Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Muhammad Taha al-Ahmed
• Minister of Health Mazen Dukhan
• Minister of Development Fadi al-Qasim
• Minister of Local Administration and Services Mohammad Abdul Rahman Muslim
• Minister of Foundations Hussam Haj Hussein
• Minister of Education Nazir al-Qadri
• Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Abdel Moneim Abdel Hafez

Will there be a transition?

Despite al-Bashir’s prominent role, al-Achi does not believe in the interim prime minister’s ambitions to consolidate power over Syria.

“What worries me is that if (the interim government) extends (the period) for more than three months, but only for three months…

Experts are worried that HTS will try to rule all of Syria with an iron fist.

According to a report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights, HTS forcibly disappeared critics and opponents and tortured people to death.

Al Jazeera asked the HTS media office for a response to the allegations, but they did not comment by the time of publication.

It is set up to succeed

Yassin-Kassab told Al Jazeera that the interim government and HTS could ease fears of a takeover by offering a roadmap detailing when negotiations with other stakeholders would begin before forming a broader coalition.

He added that the plan should focus on implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which provides for an 18-month transition period, during which the inclusive coalition will draft a constitution and prepare for elections under the supervision of the United Nations.

“(HTS) should say that this is the beginning of a process that will involve all aspects of society and all political leaders,” Yassin-Kassab said.

“This will reassure the Syrians and the international community and give more legitimacy to the new government.”

Who will pay for the transition?

Syria’s economy is in shambles – the World Bank places its gross domestic product (GDP) at 129 out of 196 provinces.

During its rule in Idlib, HTS was able to increase its income by taxing residents as well as goods and aid crossing the Turkish border. However, it is not clear whether the group has sufficient funds to boost the economy and provide basic provisions for the short to medium term.

Experts believe that HTS can be encouraged to share power by linking the easing of sanctions with political reforms.

Syria is on the US list of “countries sponsoring terrorism”, and HTS is considered a “foreign terrorist organization” by the European Union, Turkey and the United States.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the EU and the US have also sanctioned large parts of Syria’s economy, including trade in goods related to the energy sector and technology or electricity supply.

Yasin-Kassab argues that it is important for HTS to share power with other stakeholders and civil society to convince Syrians and the international community that the group has changed.

“(I) continue to see if this is the beginning of a takeover by HTS and HTS-aligned civilian entities,” he told Al Jazeera.

“Of course I hope not.”