The constitutional declaration was signed by interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa [Getty]
Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa signed Syria’s newly drafted constitutional declaration on Thursday, hailing the start of a “new history” for the country, and hoping it would “bode well” after the fall of the Assad regime on 8 December last year.
Regarding the contents of the draft constitution, an informed source told The New Arab‘s Arabic sister edition on Wednesday that the new constitutional declaration will emphasise civil liberties, the separation of powers, and the independence of the judiciary.
The source, who is close to the recently appointed constitutional drafting committee and preferred to remain anonymous, said it would be rooted in the spirit of previous Syrian constitutions, particularly the 1950 Constitution.
On 2 March, Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s announced a seven-member committee tasked with drafting a constitutional declaration for the country’s transition, based on the outcomes of the Syrian National Dialogue, which would provide a framework for the nature of the state in the post-Assad era.
It would also criminalise appeals to foreign powers and communications with foreign parties that threatened the security, stability and unity of the state.
Another area covered by the constitutional declaration would be transitional justice and mechanisms for its implementation in a way that would ensure accountability for those who had carried out crimes under the former regime.
The source said it would also restrict the possession of weapons to the state and affirm that the army’s mission was to protect the nation and its citizens as well as maintaining civil peace.
Regarding the political system, the constitutional declaration would define the basic powers of the president of the republic, noting that the government wouldn’t include the position of prime minister, and that the form of state would be presidential.
The declaration would also specify a transitional period of three to five years, and designate Islamic jurisprudence as the primary source of legislation, while a balance would be maintained between religious values and national rights.
The constitutional declaration drafting committee submitted the draft declaration to al-Sharaa on Wednesday.
The committee includes prominent Syrian academic figures, including Dr Ahmed Qurbi who holds a PhD in Public Law and has researched rights, freedoms and the relationship between religion and the state; and Dr Bahia Al Mardini, an author and journalist who is well-known for her advocacy on human rights and democracy.
Also in the committee are Dr. Abdul Hamid Al-Awak, who spoke about transitional justice at the Second Syrian Justice Conference and Dr. Riyan Kahilan, who heads the Public Law Department at Damascus University.
This is an edited and abridged translation from our Arabic edition.
