Ahmed al-Sharaa has signed a draft constitutional declaration, making him president of Syria for a five-year transitional period, state media reported on March 13.

The committee tasked with drafting the constitutional declaration has granted the new Syrian president the authority to declare a state of emergency, according to the report, giving him executive-level powers. 

Following the receipt of the draft from the committee, al-Sharaa said: "We hope it will be a good start for the Syrian people on the path to building and development."

"We wish this marks a new chapter for Syria, replacing ignorance with knowledge and suffering with mercy," he added

Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, became interim President after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government in January.  As the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011, he established the al-Nusra Front, an organisation affiliated with al-Qaeda. He subsequently severed ties with the global terrorist network, rebranding his group as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham in 2016. The following year, al-Sharaa orchestrated a merger with other Syrian opposition factions to form Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which gradually established control over large portions of Idlib province in northwestern Syria.

The expert committee responsible for drafting the constitutional declaration stated during a press conference that they had worked since their formation to complete their required task, basing their work on the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference.

The committee clarified that the declaration guarantees freedom of opinion, expression, media, publishing, and press. It also stressed the state's commitment to the unity of land and people while respecting cultural specificities.

"We were keen to include a special section on rights and freedoms to create a balance between community security and liberty," the committee said.

The constitutional declaration guarantees property rights and women's rights to education and work participation, while ensuring their political rights.

According to the committee, the declaration confirms the importance of judges, their rulings, and their independence.

It leaves the matter of removing, dismissing, or reducing the powers of council members to the People's Council. The People's Council will handle the entire legislative process, while the executive authority will be assumed by the president of the republic.

The declaration also indicates that Syria will dissolve the now blacklisted Baath Party, the army, and all militias, with Ahmed al-Sharaa confirmed as president.

Syria’s government struck an agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that control the northeast of the country to integrate the group into the national army in the push for a nationwide ceasefire prior to the signing of the new constitution.

Al-Sharaa, 42, took office on 29 January following the collapse of the second Assad regime that had ruled Syria since 2000.