What the new temporary constitution says in Syria

The Syrian new government has adopted a temporary constitution that focuses a lot of power in the hands of the temporary president and retains Islamic law as a basis for the legal system.

The temporary president, Ahmed Al -Sharra, signed the constitutional declaration on Thursday after being dissolved in January in January of the former constitution during the reign of authoritarian President Bashar al -Assad. Mr. Al -Sharra, who led to the overthrow of Mr. Assad in December, promised to form a comprehensive government, and began this as the beginning of what he called a “new history” of the nation after decades of dictatorship and long civil war.

The advertisement guarantees “freedom of opinion, expression, information, publishing and journalism.” If you support, this will be a great departure from the Draconian monitoring state during the reign of Mr. Assad. He also undertakes to protect women’s rights and the rights of all Syrians during a period of five years, after which a permanent constitution will be approved and elections will be held for the President and Parliament.

However, some between the diverse mix in Syria of ethnic and religious groups are still skeptical of the promises of the new and comprehensive leader to establish a comprehensive government because of its roots as head of an Islamic rebel group.

President authorities

The temporary constitution gives the president’s executive authority and the authority to declare a state of emergency. The President will appoint a third of the legislative body, which will serve as a temporary parliament for the transfer period. The other two -thirds will be chosen by the electoral committees supervised by a committee appointed by the president.

The new constitution calls for judicial independence. But the president is the only one responsible for appointing judges to the new constitutional court in Syria, and the authority is apparently aimed at holding Mr. Sharra accountable. The document does not give power to any other body to agree to its dates, but it only determines that the judges must be neutral.

Abdel Hamid Al -Awak, a member of the committee that drafted the new constitution, said at a press conference on Thursday that the announcement ensures the separation of powers instead of the authority’s focus on the other government branches in the hands of Mr. Assad when he was in power.

But the overwhelming authority that the new declaration holds in the hands of the president during the transitional period can spoil those in Syria who hope to move away from more than five decades of dictatorship during the era of Mr. Assad and his father before him.

Gay Pedersen, the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, said on Friday that he hoped the constitutional declaration “Syria is towards restoring the rule of law and enhancing a comprehensive, organized transfer.”

Islamic law will remain a legal basis

The temporary constitution retains a ruling stipulating the President of Syria must be a Muslim, as did the old constitution. Like its sects, the new constitution gives central importance to Islamic law. The new document says it will be the main source of legislation, while ensuring “freedom of faith is guaranteed.”

However, all rights, including freedom of religion, can be reduced, if they are considered a violation of national security or public order, among other things, the constitution says.

The new government of Syria is leading the Muslim rebels who fought Mr. Alasad during the country’s civil war. Since the authority is sweetened in Damascus, the skeptics questioned Mr. Al -Sharra Real beliefs.

As a rebel leader, Mr. Al -Sharra led an Islamic armed group in alliance with al -Qaeda. Some question whether he had abandoned his previous jihadist views, although his rebellious group had cut its relations with al -Qaeda years before he took power.

Pledges to protect minorities

Syria is home to a variety of ethnic and religious groups, and the constitution is considered to protect the rights of all Syrians and protect them from discrimination. But sectarian tensions still exist, and they are She broke out fierce last week When the Assad team installed loyalists to the government security forces ambush, which prompted a harsh repression that was transferred to fatal sectarian attacks on civilians, according to United Nations groups and war controls.

These attacks seem to have been directed against the Alawite minority, which is an individual of the Shiite Islam to which the Assad family belongs. They were a reminder that Mr. Al -Sharra is still far from obtaining control of all Syrian lands, and perhaps even all the forces associated with the government.

The United States and European countries were reluctant to lift the sanctions belonging to Assad until the neo -Syrian leaders prove that they were committed to a comprehensive political process and protecting the rights of minorities. Lifting these sanctions remains a decisive step to revive the economy that is beaten in the country-which is one of the most urgent challenges to the government of Mr. Sharra.

Although the constitution undertakes to protect minority rights, it raised anxiety between at least one ethnic minority, the Syrian Kurds.

The Syrian Democratic Council, the political wing of the Kurdish forces, which controls northeastern Syria, said that the new document was “reproduced by authoritarianism in a new form” and criticized what it said was the non -counterattack.

It is not clear whether the Kurdish dissatisfaction with the constitution will affect The agreement was reached this week Between the new government in the country and the US -backed Kurdish forces to integrate it into the civil and military institutions of the government.

Freedom with some exceptions

The pledge to ensure freedom of opinion, expression, information, publishing and press “with some exceptions, including the glorification of the Assad regime.

The constitutional declaration guarantees women’s rights to education and work, adding that it will have “complete social, economic and political rights.”

Since his ascension to power, Mr. Sharra seemed keen to alleviate local and international concerns about the role of women in new Syria. In January, he delivered a letter using a sensitive language for both sexes, and leaders rarely use it in the region. He highlighted the role of women in the revolution, and the suffering they suffered from.