Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has been appointed as the president for a transitional period following the removal of President Bashar al-Assad.

According to the report, the Syrian constitution has been suspended, and al-Sharaa has been authorised to form a temporary legislative council to oversee governance until a new constitution is adopted.

The announcement was made by Hassan Abdel Ghani, spokesperson for the new de facto government’s military operations sector.

In a major shift, Abdel Ghani also declared the dissolution of armed factions in the country, stating that all military groups would be integrated into state institutions. “The dissolution of the defunct regime’s army and security agencies, as well as the Baath Party, has been ordered,” he said. The Baath Party had governed Syria for decades under al-Assad and his predecessors.

Path to transition

The developments come in the wake of a rapid offensive led by al-Sharaa’s faction, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which resulted in the overthrow of al-Assad last month. Since then, HTS has become the de facto ruling party, setting up an interim government largely composed of officials from the administration it previously ran in rebel-held Idlib province.

Al-Sharaa has pledged a political transition that includes a national conference, the formation of an inclusive government, and eventual elections, which he estimated could take up to four years. He has also called for the creation of a unified national army and security forces, but analysts suggest that integrating former opposition factions—each with distinct leadership and ideologies—remains a significant challenge.

International implications

Speaking to Al Jazeera, senior analyst Radwan Ziadeh of the Arab Center Washington DC termed the move as a “transition of power into civilian hands.” He noted that the formation of a legislative body would lead to key institutional declarations in the coming days.

Observers say the international community is closely watching the situation, particularly in light of the European Union’s discussions on lifting sanctions on Syria. “In the last 48 hours, there have been reports of an EU roadmap to remove sanctions, which will be crucial for the country’s economic recovery,” Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid reported from Damascus.