Head of the Syrian Interim Government (SIG), Jawad Abu Hatab, reiterated his government’s position that Bashar al-Assad should not be given any role in the future of Syria.
At a press conference in the town of Azaz in rural Aleppo, Abu Hatab said that SIG has had presence in all the liberated areas since it was formed in 2013.
With regards to SIG’s position on the fate of Bashar al-Assad, Abu Hatab reiterated that Assad must be removed from power and that he must not be given any role to play in the transitional period. “Except for Iran and Russia, Assad’s staunchest allies, we have not noticed keenness on the part of major players in Syria to keep Assad in power.”
As for reports that former spokesman for Fatah al-Sham Front Osama Shafei held meetings with Abu Hatab to discuss the joint formation of a civil administration in Syria, Abu Hatab denied the establishment of any contacts with the armed group.
The areas outside the regime’s control can be administered only through an institutional system, Abu Hatab said. He pointed out that SIG is seeking to set up an interior ministry encompassing all the liberated areas.
On July 2, SIG met with a number of civic bodies and councils in the town of Sarmada in northern rural Idlib province to discuss ways to activate the role of SIG institutions and local councils in the liberated areas. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
