Link to article: https://apnews.com/article/syria-transitional-goverment-ahmad-alsharaa-hind-kabawat-abc431c223752527e01a28f6c517697d
This weekend, Syria swore in a new transitional government as authorities in Damascus work to bring stability back to a country decimated by civil war. The new cabinet is made up of 23 members of varying religious and ethnic identities and replaces the government directly after the removal of Assad from power. Currently, there is no prime minister, and instead the country will be led by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and an unidentified Secretary general. This cabinet is made up of mainly new faces in the name of building a new state based on democracy and stability. Moreover, the announcement of a government mixed in its religious demographics is a step towards removing crippling sanctions placed on Assad’s Syria over a decade ago. The government notably does not include members of the Kurdish led and U.S. backed SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces).
This article is important because it shows hope for the formation of a beacon of stability and democracy in the Middle East in the face of war and violence in the region. A new government, separate from what was established under the rule of the Assad family, is a positive step forward for the people of Syria. Another effect of the fall of the Assad regime was the separation that formed between Iran and Syria which was all but eliminated after Assad’s removal, as Syria is no longer a path for Iran to supply Hezbollah with weapons in Lebanon. Moreover, I think that the establishment of a cabinet with positions heavily concentrated in different institutions, from defense to energy to the interior, will benefit how Syria is run as a state and allow for the people to benefit economically and in terms of their quality of life.
Syria’s new government has the goal of creating a stable and peaceful state, ending civil war, violence, and insurgent groups. Syria also wishes to develop economically, as according to UN studies, approximately 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line, but are put in further danger due to cuts in aid due to the war. Syria also wishes to shed the economic sanctions that have crippled their financial sector due to Assad’s actions over a decade ago. It would benefit Syria immensely to shrug off the sanctions and be able to jump start its economy, maybe even receiving assistance from the West as it moves away from the violent, Iran-associated dictatorship run by Assad to a democratically ran state consisting of a diverse cabinet.
In class we have discussed the basis for international law, one concept of which is the type of regime that a state is classified as. Under Assad’s rule, Syria was most definitely an authoritarian state, even while embroiled in civil war, and therefore the state did not own the monopoly of violence over its people. Now, there has been a shift from authoritarian regime to democratic, even if only categorized as a flawed democracy. This will lead to institutionalization and the expansion of social liberties and equality for Syrian citizens. I believe that the government in Syria will continue to evolve as the state works towards peace and the establishment of stability throughout the state and the region.