New Syrian government to be announced on Saturday night
Syria 's leadership is expected to announce a new technocratic government on Saturday evening that will address concerns about a lack of representation for the country's diverse ethnic and religious minorities in the running of the country after the dictator Bashar Al Assad was toppled in December.
Interim President Ahmad Al Shara appointed close aides from his Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) group, which led the rebel offensive that ousted Mr Al Assad, to key positions after leading the rebel offensive that ended more than 50 years of Assad family rule.
Mr Al Shara's administration has sought support from countries in the region and the West to help rebuild the country after more than 13 years of civil war that has left its economy in ruins. Both the US and EU have highlighted the importance of Syria having an inclusive government that involves religious and ethnic communities, women and "peaceful opposition forces".
There were concerns about whether this would happen after a Syrian National Dialogue Conference convened by Mr Al Shara last month to discuss the country's future.
"The conference was not adequately representative," Nicholas Lyall, senior researcher and political affairs specialist at Trends Research and Advisory in Abu Dhabi, wrote in The National. "The conference was not adequately representative. Young people were underrepresented, the leaders of various armed groups were absent, and the Kurdish official leadership from the Kurdish-majority areas of north-east Syria were also absent."
Since then, Mr Al Shara and the leader of the Kurdish-led administration in the north-east, Mazloum Aabdi, have reached an agreement that would integrate the group into state institutions and guarantee Kurdish rights.
Syria's significant Druze minority also reached an agreement with the Damascus government to integrate the sect's militias into the state apparatus, although some of its leaders have expressed reservations over the extremist background of the interim president and HTS, which was formerly affiliated to Al Qaeda.
Mr Al Shar earlier this month signed a constitutional declaration that will be in force throughout a five-year transitional period. It provides for Islamic jurisprudence to be 'the main source' of legislation, while affirming the state's commitment to the unity of the land and people, and respect for the country's cultures, according to the drafting committee.
On Friday, Mr Al Shara appointed a long-time critic of Mr Al Assad, Osama Al Rifai, as Grand Mufti of Syria, calling him "one of the finest scholars".
In 2021, the now deposed president had issued a decree eliminating the post of Grand Mufti and expanding the powers of a government ministry overseeing religious affairs.
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