Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa has signed a temporary constitution that leaves the country under Islamist rule while promising to protect the rights of all Syrians for five years during a transitional phase.
This is coming three months after his Islamist group led the rebel offensive that overthrew former Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad
According to the drafting committee, the document says Islam is the religion of the president, as the previous constitution did, and Islamic jurisprudence is “the main source of legislation”, rather than “a main source”.
The new constitution enshrines separation of powers and judicial independence, and guarantees women’s rights, freedom of expression and media freedom.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa says the government hopes the new constitution will be a new history for Syria, and it would replace oppression with justice.
In January, rebel military commanders named Ahmed al-Sharaa president for the transitional period and cancelled the Assad-era 2012 constitution.
It also dissolved the former regime’s parliament, army and security agencies.
The nation’s interim rulers have struggled to exert their authority across much of Syria since the Islamist former insurgent group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, led a lightning insurgency that overthrew long-time President Bashar Assad in December.
While many were relieved to witness the end of the Assad family’s 50-year totalitarian rule in the war-torn country, religious and ethnic minorities have remained distrustful of the new Islamist leaders and unwilling to allow Damascus to assert control over their areas.
