Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham has appointed Mohammed al-Bashir as head of a caretaker government, to replace the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
On 11 December Agence France-Presse quoted a source within HTS stating that the group has appointed Mohammad al-Bashir to lead a transitional government in Syria.
In a televised statement, Bashir, who was introduced as the “new prime minister,” confirmed that: “The General Commander [Abu Mohammad al-Julani] has tasked us with heading the transitional government until March 1 2025.
A source within HTS, the Islamist coalition that led the offensive toppling Bashar al-Assad, confirmed that Bashir’s government will function as a caretaker administration. The source further clarified that the government would remain in power “until the start of the constitutional process,” after which a new government would be formed.
The transitional government’s inaugural meeting took place in Damascus, chaired by HTS leader Al-Julani. Attendees included former interim Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi al-Jalali, who was the last prime minister under Assad. The meeting was also attended by other ministers from the previous government, and their counterparts from the Salvation Government, the government established by HTS and their allies in Northwest Syria in 2017. Opposition-affiliated Syria TV quoted Bashir stating that the meeting focused on the transfer of executive powers.
Political sources confirmed that the transitional government will prioritise maintaining security, ensuring the smooth delivery of services, and managing an orderly transition. These same sources indicated that the security services will be dissolved, terrorism laws abolished, and the army’s structure reorganised. The caretaker government will govern for a transitional period of three months.
Al-Bashir’s appointment came in the chaotic aftermath of Bashar al-Assad’s escape from Damascus, as armed opposition forces seized the capital, signaling a turbulent end to his 24-year rule.
Al-Bashir, born in 1983 in Idlib, is well known for his controversial blend of Islamic radical attitudes. Holding degrees in engineering and Sharia law, he has moved from from overseeing Sharia education to leading the Salvation Government.
The unilateral appointment of al-Bashir as transitional PM by HTS comes amidst the aggresive incursions by Islamist groups into northeastern Syria. Simultaneously, their push for a centralised Syria underscores a growing detachment from the values of multiculturalism and the recognition of ethnic and religious diversity.
