Damascus, SANA- The battle to overthrow the Assad regime within 11 days was the result of careful planning that lasted five years in Idlib, the unification of factions, and the integration of different forces, President Ahmad al-Sharaa said.
In an interview with Syria TV aired Monday, President al-Sharaa stressed that the regime knew about the preparations for the battle to deter aggression and mobilized all its capabilities. “Some advised me not to start the battle to avoid repeating the scenes of Gaza in Idlib, but, despite that, we started it,” he noted.
President al-Sharaa clarified that the first path to correction and the first step to reform was the overthrow of the regime, and Syria has the human expertise and many potentials to rise again.
“Idlib has Syrians from all provinces. We involved everyone in the Salvation Government and when we arrived in Damascus, we worked quickly to preserve the state institutions. There is no law that regulates the process of political parties. Currently, we rely on individual competencies, and high competencies will be present in the new government” President al-Sharaa stated.
“I am trying to spare Syria the state of quotas in positions, and competence will be the criterion in this issue,” he affirmed.
President al-Sharaa added “The way the factions participating in operation deterrence of aggression entered the major cities and towns and their discipline preserved civil peace and reassured everyone.”
“We have reached a safe haven in terms of civil peace, and the Syrian state constitutes the guarantee for all sects. Our priorities are to control weapons and restrict them to the state,” he elaborated.
The President added “Everyone stresses the unity of Syria and rejects the division or separation of any part of the country. Negotiations are underway with the QSD to resolve the issue of northeastern Syria. The QSD has expressed readiness to restrict weapons to the state, but there is a disagreement on some details.”
He indicated that the former Syrian army was very disintegrated and its loyalty was to a specific family. “Today, we are working to form a national army for all Syrians.”
” About two or three weeks after the battle to overthrow the regime, I was met by a Western officer. He completely abandoned diplomatic talk, stood up, and said: “I watched the battle through satellites and drones, and I found it to be a very large school in military science, one that we should be students at. He then took a medal off his chest and gave it to me,” al-Sharaa said.
“There is a broad economic team being formed now from inside and outside the country that is analyzing data to develop an economic policy that will last for ten years. The socialist system has many negatives that have affected the citizen. We will restructure the economy in Syria and get rid of corruption,” he noted.
He added “Building the economy requires providing services such as electricity, roads, banks, etc., and then reforming economic institutions. The free market and facilitating investment in Syria provide many job opportunities, and therefore the necessary components must be provided for this, including a suitable investment environment and laws.”
Al-Sharaa went on to say “Syria is at the heart of the world and is a key country with mutual interests with all countries of the world. The former regime is the one that intensified the civil war in Lebanon and divided power so that all parties would remain in need of it. It turned Syria into the largest manufacturer and exporter of Captagon. The presence of Iranian militias during the era of the former regime was a strategic danger that threatened the entire region.”
He continued “Our diplomatic efforts are in the interest of the Syrian people and to restore Syria to its Arab and international position. The view that Syria will be ruled by one person is wrong and there will be a wide scope for freedoms within the law. The system of the rule in Syria is republican. Syria has a parliament, an executive government, and authorities that cooperate with each other.”
President al-Sharaa explained that “There will be a preparatory committee for the national conference with the participation of various segments of the Syrian people, and at the conclusion of the conference the constitutional declaration will be issued. The period to reach presidential elections requires between 4 and 5 years.”
“There is a fine line between transitional justice and civil peace, and we will pursue all those who have committed crimes against the Syrian people,” President al-Sharaa concluded.
Manar Salameh/ Ruaa al-Jazaeri
