Syrian parliament members listen to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, June 7, 2016. (photo by SANA/Reuters)
Syria's new Cabinet lacks 'any trace of opposition'
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad announced July 3 the lineup of the new government headed by former Electricity Minister Imad Khamis. This government is the first to be formed in the era of the New People's Council. While more than half of the old ministers were changed, economy-related ministers were the most affected.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad issued a decree carrying out a reshuffle of his ministers, which was mainly limited to economic portfolios and which completely excluded the opposition.
Author Ziad Haydar Posted July 5, 2016
TranslatorSami-Joe Abboud
Original Article اقرا المقال الأصلي باللغة العربية
The official Syrian news agency SANA announced Decree No. 203, which provides for the formation of a new government in Syria, in which the “sovereign” ministries were left unchanged. Gen. Fahd Jassem al-Freij remained defense minister and deputy prime minister while Walid al-Moualem was reappointed foreign minister and deputy prime minister.
The position of deputy prime minister for economic affairs was not in the lineup. This position remained divided between a military wing and a foreign policy wing. The military wing — headed by Freij — gains importance since all of the country's issues are now linked to military action, and this leads to a clearer relationship between the military and civilian institutions. The political wing allows the government to assess the feasibility of openness to and cooperation with the countries of the world.
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http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2016/07/syria-new-government-reshuffle-key-positions-unchanged.html#ixzz4EyUbbUvUREAD MORE
