Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa late last month announced his new cabinet. The interim leader is under international pressure to ensure an inclusive, democratic government. The 23-minister cabinet includes members from minorities. However, the appointments have raised eyebrows as ethnic and religious groups say they were not consulted during the appointment process.
Syria has “had a recent government formation, or advisory formation, which seemed to involve additional groups in Syria, but there's much more that have to be done that has not been done, and we're waiting to see them take more action,” Tammy Bruce, the US State Department spokesperson, told Rudaw during a press briefing on Tuesday.
“So obviously there's expectations that have yet to be met, and so we're waiting to see what they're doing. When it comes to pressure, the pressure really is about whether or not a nation wants to be within and accepted within other nation-states and within the world. I think that's certainly an indication here that's possible or not possible,” she added.
Following a swift offensive, a coalition of opposition groups led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, headed by Sharaa, in early December toppled the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. Sharaa was appointed as Syria’s interim president in late January, after which he vowed to form an “inclusive transitional government that would reflect Syria's diversity.”
Upon announcing the new cabinet, Sharaa stated, “at this historic moment, we mark the beginning of a new phase in our national journey” and “advance toward the future we deserve with strong will and unwavering resolve.”
