Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Credit: Reuters File Photo
Damascus: Syria's de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, was declared head of state for a transitional phase and empowered to form a new legislative council on Wednesday, in an announcement by the armed groups that toppled Bashar al-Assad.
Syria's constitution was also suspended and the existing parliament dissolved, according to the announcement by the spokesperson for the Military Operations Command, which oversaw the lightning offensive that toppled Assad on December 8.
Sharaa has been Syria's de facto leader since leading the offensive that deposed Assad after more than 13 years of civil war.
The announcements, published by state media, emerged during a Damascus meeting of armed factions that fought alongside Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in the offensive.
The gathering was also attended by ministers from the HTS-installed interim government appointed in December.
Sharaa, whose group was once an al Qaeda affiliate, has pledged to embark on a political transition including a national conference, an inclusive government, and eventual elections, which he has said could take up to four years to hold.
The new legislative council would carry out its tasks until a new constitution is adopted, state media said.