A five-year bridge between a fallen regime and an unknown future
In short: After fifty years of Assad rule, Syria is operating under a provisional legal framework. The Constitutional Declaration isn't a final blueprint for the nation; it is a temporary scaffolding designed to hold the country together while a permanent constitution is drafted over the next half-decade.
Following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government in late 2024, President Ahmed al-Sharaa ratified the Constitutional Declaration on March 13, 2025. This interim document serves as a legal reference for a five-year transitional period. It was designed to replace the 2012 constitution, which was formally repealed by the Military Operations Command following the regime's fall. The declaration draws significant inspiration from the Syrian Constitution of 1950, aiming to ground the new government in established national values and cultural heritage.
The framework establishes a presidential system where executive authority is concentrated in the president to allow for 'swift action' in addressing post-war challenges. While legislative power rests with the People's Assembly and judicial power with an independent judiciary, the declaration includes specific nuances: the legislature cannot question the president, and the president has the authority to appoint judges for a constitutional court. The document also explicitly criminalizes the glorification of the former Assad regime and any attempts to minimize its crimes.
The transition faces complex internal tensions regarding identity and representation. While the drafting committee retained the name 'Syrian Arab Republic'—citing its history since 1920—it faced pressure from Kurdish, Syriac, Assyrian, and Aramean communities to rename the country to reflect its diversity. Furthermore, while the declaration promotes social coexistence and protects linguistic rights, the rise of Islamist leadership has sparked uncertainty among religious minorities regarding the new authority in Damascus.
The roadmap for stability includes a National Conference of 1,200 representatives intended to dissolve current armed factions and restructure a national army. Al-Sharaa noted that full elections could take up to four years to organize, requiring a preliminary census. Until then, the declaration remains the primary tool for governance, focusing on reconstruction, combating corruption, and facilitating the voluntary return of refugees.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Constitutional Declaration of the Syrian Arab Republic
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