DAMASCUS –
Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa was declared president for a transitional phase on Wednesday, tightening his hold on power less than two months after he led a campaign that toppled Bashar Assad.
Sharaa was also empowered to form a temporary legislative council for a transitional period and the Syrian constitution was suspended, according to an announcement made by the military command, which led the offensive against Assad.
The decisions emerged from a meeting of military commanders who took part in the assault, a campaign spearheaded by Sharaa’s Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group — a former al-Qaida affiliate.
