New transitional government in Syria includes a Catholic woman

By Lisa Zengarini

After toppling President Assad’s regime in December, 2024, the new Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced the past weekend a new transitional government by appointing 23 ministers in a new broadened and diverse cabinet, tasked with drafting the new Constitution and organizing the country’s first elections after more than a decade of civil war.

Though composed primarily of Sunni Arabs, the new Cabinet also includes representatives from Syria's Christian, Alawite, Druze, and Kurdish communities, following international pressure to form a government that is more inclusive of the country's diverse ethnic and religious communities.  

That pressure increased following the recent attacks on Alawite civilians - the religious minority from which toppled leader Bashar al-Assad hails - in Latakia and Tartous, which left over one thousand people dead.

Catholic Hind Kabawat appointed Minister of Labour and Social Affairs

A notable inclusion in the new government is Hind Kabawat, a Catholic and the only woman in the cabinet, who has been appointed Minister of Labour and Social Affairs. An opponent to Assad’s regime, Kabawat is a long-time advocate for interfaith dialogue and women's rights and aims to foster inclusion and diversity in the rebuilding process.

Also, Yarub Badr, an Alawite,  was named Minister of Transport, while Amgad Badr, who belongs to the Druze community, will lead the Ministry of Agriculture, and Kurdish  Mohammed Terko was appointed as the new Minister of Education. 

The most important positions are held by close allies of al-Sharaa, with Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani and Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra retaining their Cabinet posts.

Justice Minister Mouzhar al-Waiss has replaced Shadi Mohammad al-Waisi, who was forced to step down due to his involvement in past executions, while the new Interior Minister, Anas Khattab, has a controversial past as a former jihadist and intelligence head.

President al-Sharaa seeking to have sanctions lifted 

The announcement of the mixed government aims to convince Western countries to lift the crippling economic sanctions that were imposed on Assad more than a decade ago.

Syria continues to struggle with immense humanitarian challenges. According to the United Nations, 90 percent of Syrians are below the poverty line, and 75 percent of the population depends on some form of humanitarian aid, while half of the country’s infrastructure is in ruins.

President al-Sharaa has promised economic recovery through industry rehabilitation, monetary reform, and increased foreign investment. The Western bloc has emphasized that the lifting of sanctions will depend on the government's actions.

Kurds rejecting the new government

Although the new cabinet includes a Kurdish minister, the Kurdish Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) has rejected the composition of the new cabinet claiming that it fails to fully represent the country's minorities and specifically, that it does not not include any AANES representatives despite their long-standing control over significant regions in Syria for more than a decade.

(Source: various news agencies)