Assad’s party suspends work

Baath was the main political power in Syria for more than half a century

The Baath Party of former Syrian President Bashar Assad has announced that it is putting its operations on hold after the armed opposition seized power in the country.

Anti-Assad forces led by the jihadist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Free Syrian Army took control of Damascus over the weekend, prompting the president to flee to Russia, where he has been granted political asylum.

In a statement published in Syrian newspaper Al Watan on Wednesday, Baath announced that “after analyzing the political, social, and economic situation, based on national interests, the leadership has made the following decision: to suspend work and activities of the party in all its manifestations until further notice.” 

All of the party’s material assets, including weapons, will be transferred to the interior and finance ministries, the statement read.

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The Baath Party, which called for the unification of the Arab world and freeing it from Western influence, came to power in Syria as a result of the 1963 military coup.

Bashar Assad’s father, Hafez Assad, led the party from 1970 until his death in 2000. After that, the reins were passed to his son.

Earlier this week, Syrian caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir announced that his government will function until March 1, 2025, when a permanent cabinet is expected to be formed.

Al-Bashir, who previously led the government run by HTS in Syria’s Idlib Province, told Al Jazeera that “members from the old government and some directors from the administration in Idlib” have been invited to help “facilitate all the necessary works for the next two months until we have a constitutional system to be able to serve the Syrian people.” 

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In a separate report, Al Jazeera claimed, citing sources in Damascus, that the new authorities plan to dissolve the old security services, reorganize the military, and abolish Syria’s existing anti-terrorism laws. Once formed, the new cabinet will prioritize security and public services, according to the broadcaster.