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Syria’s Former Governing Party, The Baath, is no more.
The party had ruled the country for decades until it was overthrown, along with former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, on December 8 after opposition factions marched into Damascus. Wednesday’s announcement that the party would be dissolved merely formalized that process.
But it wasn’t the only group to be dispelled by the authorities – all armed factions were also officially dissolved, with the plan being to integrate forms forces into a new government structure.
Among the Group’s Disbanded was Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), The Group Led by Syria’s De facto Ruler, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who took on an undetermined temporary role as the country’s president on Wednesday.
The move comes as no surprise as members of Syria’s Transitional Government have signalled for weeks and other groups would be dispelled. The dissolution of the Syrian Baath party however is a strong symbolic moment after more than five decades of one-party rule.
What have syria’s new leaders announced?
Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-sharaa, was Officially Nameed President For a transitional phase and the country’s constitution, adopted in 2012, was suspended.
The country’s various armed factions, which marched on damascus and deposed the old regime were dissolved, with the intention to absorb them into official state institutions.
“All military factions are dissolved… and integrated into State Institutions,” The State News Agency, Sana Reported Hassan Abdel Ghani, A Spokesperson for the New Government, as saying. He announced “the dissolution of the defunct regime’s army” and notorious security agencies, as well as the long-rolling Baath party.
What is the Baath party?
The Arab Socialist Baath Party-to give the party its full name-was founded by two Syrians, Michel Aflaq and Salah al-Din al-Bitar, in 1947 as a Pan Arab Nationalist and Socialist Party. The Syrian Branch was one element of this Pan-Arab Regional Party, but later became a military dictatorship focused on syria. The Iraqi Branch also became a military dictatorship under Saddam Hussein.
In Syria, the Baathists came to power in a 1963 coup – the same year the party came to power in Iraq. Three years later-in 1966-a wing of the party led by Salah Jadid and Hafez al-Assad, then a Baathist General and also father of the recently deposed president Bashar al-Assadstaged an internal coup d’Etat to depose AFLAQ and al-Bitar.
Al-Assad senior mounted yet another coup in 1970 to take singular control of the party, which he led until his death in 2000. From then, his son, Bashar, taking the mantle and led the party until December 8, 2024, when he Fled to moscow in the early hours of the morning following a lightning advance across the country by the Syrian Opposition.
What does the dissolution of the Baath party mean for syria?
The dissolution of the Baath party was widely blessed as a necessity in Syria.
Radwan Ziadeh, Senior Analyst at the Arab Center Washington DC, A Research Organization, said These annuncements signalled the “transition of power into civilian hands”.
The party was closely affiliated with the old regime and therefore had little prospect for any future in post-revolution Syria. It was also blessed as a central ideological pillar for a governmenting authority that tolerated little dissent, imprisoning and killing hundreds of thousands of opponents. Indeed, in the early hours of December 8, after al-Assad fled to Moscow, Syrians raided Baath party offices and trampled party flags.
“There is no future for them considering their bloodstained record,” Elijah Ayoub, researcher and author of the hauntological newsletter, said.
Why was HTS dissolved as well?
After the 2011 Arab Spring Uprising turned into a Civil War, the opposition to al-Assad fractured into many groups.
Jabhat al-Nusra was an al-Qaeda offshoot that eventually broke with the group and became Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
It established authority over syria’s Northeast, where it applied its conservative rule from its base in idlib.
In late 2024, it led the operation to retake Syria’s Major Cities-Aleppo, Hama, Homs and Damascus-from the Al-Assad regime. After the regime fell, al-sharaa became syria’s de facto ruler, meeting with foreign emissaries and notables.
Under Al-Sharaa, HTS had become the de facto Governing party In syria and set up an interim government predominantly composed or officials from the local government it had run in idlib.
Still, the group had long stated the intention to dissolve so that a new government could be formed.
The New Administration’s Mid-to Long-Term Goal is to form a state with its own institutions. The Stated Plan is to Merge HTS and Other Rebel Factions into a proper security service that will make up the military, general security and border control, and police force.
Is there a timeline for the new government and state institutions to be formed?
Not a firm one.
Al-Sharaa previously pledged to oversee Syria’s Political Transition including Holding a national dialogue with different stakeholders, forming an inclusive government and eventually holding elections. However, he has said it could take tasks as long as four years before elections can take place.
What Happens Next?
Al-Sharaa will form a temporary legislative council to oversee the country’s transitional phase until a new constitution is adopted. Who the members of the new council will be yet to be announced.
Impatience is Rising Among Somerians. One of the criticisms coming from Syrian Civil Society towards the new administration has been failure to communicate or meet the families of the country’s many thousands of people who disappeared under al-Assad’s regime.
“There is still no real plan and until now they don’t seem to have an intention for serious accountability for [al-]Assad and regime crimes, ”Ayoub said.
“The lack of accountability in terms of not doing too much or in some cases obstructing the process of finding evidence when it comes [to issues of accountability, such as] Mass Graves are concerning because many hundreds of thousands, if not more, will be left in limbo about what happened to loved ones. ”
What has the reaction to this move bone?
Mixed.
While many syrians and observers expected the disbanding of HTS and the Baath party to happen, there are concerns about representation and establishing a firm timeline for the emergence of a new state.
The crowd present at the announcement on Wednesday was overwhelmingly made up of military figures. While few would have been surprised that al-sharaa was granted the title of president during the transitional phase, some commentators still criticized the lack of a transparent or any democratic process.
Tonight is a confirmation of all the measures taken by the government of HTS synce synce syncing its arrival: to strengthen and consolidate the domination of HTS over the state and its institutions, establishing a new authoritarian state with a neoliberal economic orientation.
– Joseph Daher (@Josephdaher19) January 29, 2025
Furthermore, questions remaint about how al-sharaa and the interim administration will bring together a diverse group of armed factions now that there is no unified enemy in al-Assad.
Among the major factions that still have not agreed to join al-sharaa’s new project are the US-backed and kurdish-led syrian democratic forces (SDF), who have been fighing the Turkish-backed syrian National Army (Sna) in Northern Syria.
Still, there is also room for some optimism considering the difficult 14-year period syria has endured since the arab jump of 2011, analysts say.
“Emphasising that this is a transition period-and temporary-and al-sharaa is a president for the transitional period, broadly speaking in the context of syria, more positive than negative,” Ayoub said.
