Syria already has a new prime minister. For now, until March 1st. Mohammed al Bashir, who until now was head of the government established by Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) in the areas under his control in the province of Idlib, he has been appointed interim prime minister for the transition, as he himself confirmed after a meeting of the Council of Ministers to address the current situation in the country after the fall of al Assad.
“The acting government of the transitional phase lasts three months under the presidency of Mohamed al Bashir,” government sources told Syria TV.
To this meeting of the Council of Ministers Neither Interior nor Defense officials attended. The previous Syrian Prime Minister, Mohamed Ghazi al Jalali, was there to make the transfer of portfolios and “get the work underway”, as al Bashir said.
Although Mohamed al Bashir did not give many more details regarding this, he did explain that they will begin to take security related measuressuch as “dissolving security authorities and repealing terrorism laws.”
Al Bashir also stated that it is “a government of salvation” that will be made up of a indeterminate number of ministerswhose identities will be revealed later.
Ask refugees to return
In an interview given to the Italian newspaper ‘Corriere della Sera’, al Bashir made a appeal to millions of Syrian refugees to return to the country. “We want to achieve the return of the millions of Syrian refugees scattered around the world. Syria is now a free country who has regained his pride and dignity. Come back. We need to rebuild, raise the country again, and we need everyone’s help,” he stated.
Complicated situation, but promises that it will improve
Similarly, Mohamed al Bashir has detailed that the economic situation in Syria is very complicated: “In the coffers there are only Syrian pounds, which are practically worth nothing. One US dollar is equivalent to 35,000 Syrian pounds. We have no foreign reserves and, in Regarding loans and bonds, we are collecting the data. Financially we are in a very bad state“he lamented.
The new prime minister has also promised that the new government “will guarantee the rights of all people.” Although the new authorities face “a monumental challenge and inherit a bloated administration riddled with corruption,” al Bashir appears confident: “The situation in Syria can be improved. “It will take time, but we will get there.”
It has already maintained contacts with other countries
Al Bashir has defended that he already has experience managing issues of this nature in the province of Idlib. “We have the experience of Idlib, where we made good progress. One province is not the same as the whole country, but we feel that Syria is now a free country.”
The new Syrian leader has confirmed contacts with “countries such as Iraq, China and many others. We have no problems with any Stateparty or sect that has distanced itself from the bloodthirsty regime of Al Assad,” he stated, without answering a direct question about possible relations with Israel, Iran or Russia.
