DAMASCUS — Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa has been officially named president for a transitional period, according to a report by the Syrian state news agency (SANA) on Wednesday.

Al-Sharaa has also been granted the authority to form a temporary legislative council to oversee governance until a new constitution is adopted, Commander Hassan Abdel Ghani announced.

Al-Sharaa, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former opposition armed group, rose to power following a swift offensive last month that led to the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad.

Since Assad’s removal, HTS has effectively become the ruling party, forming an interim government largely composed of officials who previously governed rebel-held Idlib province.

Commander Abdel Ghani also declared the dissolution of all armed factions in Syria, stating that these groups will be absorbed into state institutions.

He further announced the dissolution of the former regime’s army, security agencies, and the Baath Party, which had ruled Syria for decades.

The announcements came during a meeting in Damascus, attended by armed factions that fought alongside HTS in the offensive, as well as ministers from the HTS-installed interim government, which was formed in December.

Al-Sharaa, who previously led an al-Qaeda-affiliated faction, has pledged to oversee a political transition, including a national conference, an inclusive government, and eventual elections, which could take up to four years to materialize.

He has also called for the formation of a unified national army and security forces, though major uncertainties remain about how the interim government will integrate the various former rebel factions, each with its own leadership and ideology. — Agencies