Syria: Sharaa signs draft constitutional declaration for transitional period, sets it at 5 years

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa signed the draft Constitutional Declaration for Syria on Thursday, expressing his hope that it would be "a good omen for the Syrian people on the path to construction and development."

This came after the draft declaration was read out at the People's Palace in Damascus by the committee of experts tasked with drafting the constitutional declaration and received from him.

The committee of experts tasked with drafting the constitutional declaration said that it "has been committed to completing the required work since its formation, and we have relied on the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference in the constitutional declaration."

She added, "The state's commitment to the unity of the land and people and respect for cultural particularities has been affirmed, and we have ensured a special chapter on rights and freedoms to create a balance between community security and freedom."

Among what the Constitutional Declaration stipulates:

• The religion of the head of state is Islam.
• Islamic jurisprudence is the primary source of legislation.
• The People's Assembly undertakes the entire legislative process, while the executive authority is exercised by the President of the Republic.
• Setting the transitional period at five years.
• Granting the President of the Republic the right to declare a state of emergency, with the approval of the National Security Council, and to extend it with the approval of the People's Assembly.
• Dissolving the existing Constitutional Court "because it is a remnant of the former regime" and forming a committee to draft a permanent constitution.
• The removal, dismissal or reduction of the President of the Republic's powers is left to the People's Assembly.
• It also stipulated the importance of judges, their rulings and their independence, guaranteed the right to property and the right of women to education and participation in work, and guaranteed their political rights.
• It also stipulates freedom of opinion, expression, information, publication and the press, and it also affirms the state's commitment to the unity of the land and people and respect for cultural particularities.

Abdul Hamid Al-Awak, a member of the constitutional declaration drafting committee, said at a press conference the day after the draft constitutional declaration was submitted and signed by Sharaa: "We have chosen a political system based on the complete separation of powers. This political system proposed in the draft constitutional declaration will help manage the transitional phase." He added: "We have worked to return the political system to a truly constitutional path and have recommended the introduction of a permanent constitution."

Al-Awak affirmed that "the People's Assembly will have no authority over the presidency during the transitional period," noting that "several bodies will be formed, including the Supreme Elections Commission and a Supreme Constitutional Authority that will be responsible for ensuring the constitutionality of laws."

He pointed out that "in previous constitutions, the text served the dictator, but today the work of all authorities is monitored by the people."

For her part, Rayan Kahilan, a member of the Constitutional Declaration Drafting Committee, said, "The freedoms in the Constitutional Declaration were established for all components of the Syrian people." She added, "The presidential political system within the draft Constitutional Declaration does not allow one authority to remove another." She noted that "the exceptional courts that caused pain and suffering to the people during the era of the former regime have been abolished," adding that "a court will be formed to practice transitional justice."

Source: Al-Araby Al-Jadeed