After taking Damascus, Syria’s opposition begins government formation
Al Jazeera
HTS-linked Mohammed al-Bashir has been tasked with forming a transitional government.
Syria’s opposition forces are in talks to take formal control of the country after a sweeping offensive that captured swaths of territory, including Damascus, and ousted longtime President Bashar al-Assad.
Opposition leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, met outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali on Monday to discuss the transition. Al-Jalali, who served under al-Assad, has agreed to transfer power to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) Syrian Salvation Government (SSG).
“We are working to ensure the transitional period is quick and smooth,” al-Jalali was quoted as saying.
The transitional government is to be formed by Mohammed al-Bashir, who is close to the HTS – the group that led the Damascus takeover – and heads their Idlib-based SSG.
Geir Pedersen, United Nations special envoy to Syria, called for a transition process that ensures the continuity of Syria’s institutions and allows its people to “chart the path to meeting their legitimate aspirations … and restore a unified Syria”.
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