Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has announced the formation of an interim government. On Saturday, March 29, 23 ministers were appointed to the cabinet. Among them, Yarub Badr, an Alawite, was appointed as the Minister of Transport, and Amjad Badr, a Druze, was appointed as the Minister of Agriculture. Qatar-based news outlet Al Jazeera reported this news.
In a speech, al-Sharaa stated that the formation of the new government is a declaration of collective will, promising the establishment of a new state. There will be no prime minister in this government, and al-Sharaa himself will lead the executive branch.
Al-Sharaa aims to show both the Syrian people and the world that this new government includes various ethnic and religious communities. Prior to this, President al-Sharaa had been criticized for appointing close associates to key ministerial positions.
Under pressure from Western and Arab nations, the Syrian new leadership was urged to form a government that includes diverse ethnic and religious communities. This pressure intensified after the recent violence on Syria’s western coast, which led to the deaths of hundreds of Alawite civilians. The Alawite community is where former President Bashar al-Assad hailed from.
Syrian opposition leader Hind Kabawat, a Christian minority member and long-time Assad critic, was appointed as the Minister of Social Welfare and Labor, becoming the first woman in al-Sharaa’s cabinet. Mohammad Yasser Barneh was named Finance Minister, and Murhaf Abu Qasra and Assad al-Shibani were reappointed as Defense and Foreign Ministers, respectively.
Since the ouster of Assad’s government, al-Sharaa has led an interim cabinet that has governed Syria since December. In January, he was named interim president and pledged to form an inclusive government. The new government will lead Syria for the next five years until fresh elections are held.
Al-Sharaa also announced the creation of a Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management, appointing Raed al-Saleh, leader of the White Helmets, as its head. Al-Saleh had worked as a rescue worker in opposition-controlled areas.