Syria's interim president signed a temporary constitution on Thursday that leaves the country under Islamist rule for five years during a transitional period.
The country's interim rulers have struggled to extend their authority over much of Syria since the former Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led a lightning uprising that toppled longtime President Bashar al-Assad in December.
Former Hayat al-Sham leader Ahmad al-Sharaa is now the country's interim president, a decision announced after a meeting of armed groups involved in the offensive against Assad.
At the same meeting, the groups agreed to abolish the country's old constitution and said a new one would be drafted.
While many were happy to see the end of the Assad family's 50-plus years of dictatorial rule in the war-torn country, religious and ethnic minorities were skeptical of the new Islamist leaders and reluctant to allow Damascus to exert control over their territories under its new rule.
Abdulhamid al-Awak, one of seven members of the committee tasked by Mr al-Sharaa with drafting the interim constitution, said at a news conference on Thursday that it would retain some provisions of the previous constitution, including the provision that the head of state must be a Muslim and that Islamic law is the main source of jurisprudence.
However, Mr Al-Awak, a constitutional law expert who teaches at Mardin Artuklu University in Turkey, also said the interim constitution included provisions enshrining freedom of speech and the media.
He said the constitution would “balance between social security and freedom” in the context of the unstable political situation in Syria.
A new committee will be formed to draft a permanent constitution, but it is unclear whether it will be more inclusive of Syria's political, religious and ethnic groups.
On Monday, Mr al-Sharaa struck a landmark deal with the US-backed Kurdish authorities in north-east Syria, including a ceasefire and the unification of their military forces with the central government's security forces.
The deal came after government forces and allied groups crushed an uprising launched last week by militants loyal to Assad.
Human rights groups say hundreds of civilians – mostly from the Alawite religious minority to which Mr Assad belongs – have been killed in retaliatory attacks by groups during the counter-offensive.
A key aim of the interim constitution was to provide a timeframe for the country's political transition out of the transitional phase. In December, Mr Al-Sharaa said it could take up to three years to rewrite Syria's constitution and up to five years to organize and hold elections.
Mr Al-Sharaa appointed a committee to draft a new constitution after Syria held a national dialogue conference last month that called for an interim constitution and temporary parliamentary elections. Critics said the hastily organized conference did not include Syria's different ethnic and sectarian groups or civil society.
The US and Europe are hesitant to lift the tough sanctions imposed on Syria during Assad's rule until they are convinced that new leaders will create an inclusive political system and protect minorities.
Mr Al-Sharaa and regional governments are urging them to reconsider, fearing the country's collapsing economy could lead to further instability.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
