A new government has been formed in Damascus under the leadership of Ahmet al-Sharaa. As it is known, al-Sharaa was appointed as president during a military meeting. A commission appointed by HTS drafted a provisional constitution, while another commission convened the national congress. All these actions have taken place without any sharing with people. Things are being conducted with a true coup mentality, leaving the Syrian people to face a fait accompli. 

The powers granted to Ahmet al-Sharaa are almost unlimited. They have given the president powers similar to those granted during the Ba'athist system. The drafted provisional constitution has not been discussed among intellectuals, legal experts, or political circles. However, constitutions are supposed to be social agreements. They should mature through months of public debate and include the rights of all segments of society. Yet, HTS is shaping everything according to its own framework while ignoring large sections of society. The worst part is that they are deliberately excluding organized groups. 

The announced government will rule Syria for years. However, many parties, dissenting voices, and minorities are absent from the government. A completely monolithic mindset prevails. HTS is seizing Syria’s entire legacy and the gains of the revolution. It acts as if this revolution were solely HTS's achievement. In reality, Kurds, Druze, Assyrians, Syriacs, intellectuals, and broad segments of society resisted and fought against Ba'athism. While HTS was influential in Idlib, it now behaves as though all of Syria is its base and that no one else deserves a role in governance. 

The path HTS is following is surely anti-democratic. It is replacing the Ba'athist system with its own, using coup-like methods. It does not allow for a democratic debate; there is no transparency or governance open to the public. Decisions are made behind closed doors and imposed on the people. HTS has taken over the state-controlled media left behind by the Ba'athist regime, using it to silence the public, intellectuals, and those with differing views. Society is being directed through one-sided policies and propaganda. 

Reports of massacres against Alawites have reverberated worldwide. It was announced that a commission had been assigned to investigate these massacres. However, the person who appointed the commission is Ahmet al-Sharaa himself, i.e. the same person who authorized the attacks and operations against the Alawites. Who would believe that this commission will conduct an independent investigation and transparently present its findings to the public? This commission should have been established under the United Nations supervision. Yet, as seen in all areas, HTS is playing its own game by its own rules. 

An agreement was signed with the Autonomous Administration. Nearly one-third of Syria’s population lives in autonomous regions, where the people govern themselves. These regions have a certain level of organization. However, the newly formed government has not even been discussed with the autonomous region—there has been no exchange of views whatsoever. The Druze community also made a statement declaring: "This government does not represent us." They, too, were not consulted about the government. The situation of the Alawites is evident. Assyrian-Syriac, Armenian, and other communities have also been excluded from these decisions. So how can the government announced by Ahmet al-Sharaa claim to represent the Syrian people? 

The United States, the United Kingdom, and European countries are closely following developments in Syria, and it appears they recognize the Damascus administration as their counterpart. However, HTS remains on the list of terrorist organizations, and the embargo against it has not been lifted. This suggests that these countries still do not fully trust HTS. Nevertheless, they passively observe as HTS establishes an extreme, centralized, and despotic rule based on sectarianism in Syria. Their silence regarding the provisional constitution announced by HTS is highly concerning. This constitutional draft stands against a democratic Syria. It designates religion as the foundation of the constitution and mandates that the president must be a Muslim. 

It is unclear what agreements HTS has made with the US and the UK or what commitments it has entered into. However, these foreign powers are encouraging the Autonomous Administration and other forces to engage with and even reach agreements with HTS. Yet, instead of establishing a democratic state, HTS is building a fanatical regime based on sectarianism and religion. It is evident that this state will be even more monolithic, repressive, and prohibitive than the Ba'athist regime. As the saying goes, "Village in sight needs no guide"—HTS’s intentions for the state it seeks to establish are clear. Syrians who oppose the formation of a regime worse than Ba'athism must take action before it is too late. 

The Syrian people are not well-organized, and HTS is exploiting this opportunity to consolidate its own organization. Having lived under Ba'athist oppression for many years, the people have not developed a strong democratic culture. Therefore, Syrian intellectuals and pro-democracy forces must quickly mobilize. However, organization cannot happen without awareness. In this regard, educating and enlightening the public should be a top priority. A widespread political and ideological struggle must be launched in Syria without delay. 

Source: Ronahi