ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syria’s interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Thursday approved a draft constitutional declaration that sets a five-year transitional period, state media announced.
“We hope that this is a new history for Syria, which we will replace ignorance with knowledge and oppression with justice,” Sharaa said while signing the document.
The draft constitutional declaration sets a five-year transitional period and grants the interim president the right to declare a state of emergency. The committee in charge of drafting the constitutional declaration said they “relied on the outputs of the National Dialogue Conference,” which was held last month.
But the conference was denounced as exclusionary, particularly by Kurdish parties in northeast Syria (Rojava), who were sidelined.
The signing also comes after Sharaa and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) chief Mazloum Abdi signed a landmark agreement on Monday to integrate the SDF into the Syrian state apparatus. The agreement recognizes the Kurds as an integral part of Syria, includes a countrywide ceasefire, and stipulates the return of displaced Syrians to their hometowns.
The constitutional committee also stated that women’s rights would be safeguarded by the declaration.
“The declaration stipulates guaranteeing the right to property and women’s rights to education and participation in work, and ensures their political rights,” they said.
It also guarantees the freedom of expression and the press.
Following a swift offensive, a coalition of rebel groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - headed by Sharaa - on December 8 toppled the Bashar al-Assad regime. Sharaa was in late January appointed as Syria’s interim President.
After his appointment, Sharaa vowed to uphold the rights of all ethnic and religious groups. However, the international community has repeatedly censured the new Damascus leadership for its treatment of Syria’s minority groups.
