Syria said yesterday a new government would take over next month from the interim cabinet formed following Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow, and announced a preparatory body for a national dialogue conference.The new authorities need to rebuild Syria’s institutions after more than 50 years of Assad family rule and revive an economy smashed by nearly 14 years of war. Weighed down by Assad-era sanctions, the government will also need to persuade Western capitals that the rebels who seized power have abandoned their militant origins, amid concerns for minorities in the multi-ethnic, multi-confessional country. "The government that will be launched March 1 will represent the Syrian people as much as possible and take its diversity into account,” Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in the United Arab Emirates.The Syrian people will be "partners in change”, he said, adding that "changes and adjustments we made over the past two months on the political roadmap were derived and inspired by consultations with the diaspora and civil society”.A caretaker government headed by Mohammad al-Bashir is steering the country until March 1. Last month Sharaa, leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group which spearheaded Assad’s overthrow, was appointed interim president, and the new authorities are set to form a transitional legislature.The Assad-era parliament has been dissolved, along with the Baath party which ruled Syria for decades. Sharaa has said organising elections could take up to five years.Sharaa’s office announced yesterday the formation of a seven-member preparatory committee for a national dialogue conference "to meet the requirements of this historic phase and guarantee the aspirations of the Syrian people”.
February 13, 2025 | 12:16 AM