- 09
- Dec.
- 2024
The 54-year-old Assad regime collapsed following an 11-day swift rebel offensive, launched without bloodshed. The country seems to be surfing the waves of change like a sailboat that has suddenly changed course. "Free elections," "the will of the people," "cooperation"—a political discourse at odds with that of the man who was overthrown.
On Sunday, the leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) ordered military forces to refrain from damaging public buildings in Damascus or firing shots into the air. In a statement signed with his real name, Ahmad al-Chareh, which he now uses, he expressed his commitment to ensuring an "orderly transition."
A video posted on HTS' official Telegram channel showed rebels escorting Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Jalali from his office at the Four Seasons Hotel in Damascus.
"Syria has the potential to be a normal country, fostering good relations with its neighbors and the world (...) but this will depend on the leadership chosen by its people. We are ready for cooperation and to provide all possible assistance," said Jalali in a video posted on his Facebook account.
The Syrian PM also revealed that he had called Chareh to discuss the current transition period, in an interview with the pan-Arab channel Al-Arabiya. He added that Syria should hold "free elections."
Despite their rigidity, Syrian institutions have, unexpectedly, adapted to the new reality at an astonishing speed.
Syrian Minister of Telecommunications Iyad el-Khatib told Al-Arabiya that he had reached an agreement with HTS to ensure the continued functioning of telecommunications and the internet.
The Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic in Beirut also emphasized that "the victory of the revolution has been a beacon of hope for our people, across all factions, and has brought an end to a dark era." In a unusual statement issued on Monday, it called on the Syrian people to work towards "a national state of brotherhood, love, and justice, a state of law and freedom."
All the better!
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