Diplomat criticizes appointment of al-Sharaa’s brother to senior post
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – A former Syrian diplomat criticized on Monday the appointment of the brother of the Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa, as Secretary-General of the Presidency, describing it as an attempt to reproduce power based on loyalty rather than on the foundations of institutional governance.
Bashar Ali al-Hajj Ali, a former diplomat and political figure, told North Press that such appointments do not signal meaningful political change. “This method of managing sensitive state positions reflects an effort to recycle power based on loyalty, rather than building a state rooted in institutions,” he said.
Al-Hajj Ali noted that at a time when Syria is supposedly entering a new phase of political transition, the pattern of appointments—starting with Maher al-Sharaa’s earlier role as Minister of Health in the caretaker government and now as Secretary-General—raises serious concerns.
“These choices cannot be separated from the framework of familial loyalty, a defining characteristic of the previous era,” he added.
He emphasized that sidelining qualified national figures from both within Syria and the diaspora in favor of kinship networks and close personal circles undermines the very idea of a genuine transitional phase. “It reduces the process to a mere facade—new faces reinforcing an old system,” he said.
Al-Hajj Ali concluded by stressing that the core issue is not the distribution of roles, but the restoration of true legitimacy. “Legitimacy must be rooted in public trust—not in family ties, political favoritism, or ideological alignment,” he stated.
On Saturday, Ahmad al-Sharaa announced the appointment of his brother Maher to succeed Abdel Rahman Salama in the role of Secretary-General, with Salama reportedly moving to a different post. The move sparked mixed reactions among Syrians, drawing criticism from both supporters and opponents of the transitional government.