Rebel-Backed Leader Mohammed Al-Bashir Becomes Syria’s Interim Prime Minister
6 months ago 2 min read
Mohammed al-Bashir, a relatively unknown figure outside Syria’s northwest, on Tuesday, declared himself the country’s interim prime minister.
Backed by the rebel groups who overthrew President Bashar al-Assad three days ago, al-Bashir will lead the interim government until March 1.
In a brief address aired on state television, al-Bashir announced his takeover from Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, the prime minister under al-Assad.
Al-Bashir said, “Today we held a cabinet meeting that included a team from the Salvation government that was working in Idlib and its vicinity, and the government of the ousted regime.
“The meeting was under the headline of transferring the files and institutions to caretake the government,” he said.
Meanwhile, life returned to normal in Damascus as banks reopened for the first time since al-Assad’s fall. Shops were back in business, traffic flowed once more, and workers were repairing infrastructure in the city centre.
Street cleaners were also seen sweeping the roads, while there was a noticeable reduction in the number of armed men in the streets.
According to two sources close to the rebels, their command had instructed fighters to withdraw from urban areas, allowing police and internal security forces affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to take over.
Al-Bashir headed the rebel-led Salvation Government which had already been governing parts of northwestern Syria and Idlib before the offensive against al-Assad’s over the last two weeks.
The Salvation Government linked to Islamist group Hayat Tahrir-al Shams, was one of the leading rebel groups that deposed al-Assad’s regime in Syria after 13 years of civil war.
His political experience is largely limited to Idlib province, having previously trained as an electrical engineer, before earning a degree in Sharia and law, and holding various positions in education.
