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New Syrian government sworn in before Assad

Xinhua, July 11, 2016 Adjust font size:

The newly-formed Syrian government was sworn in before President Bashar al-Assad on Monday, state news agency SANA reported.

Earlier this month, al-Assad endorsed the new government, which maintained many of the original ministers.

On June 22, al-Assad issued a decree naming then minister of electricity Imad Khamis as new prime minister, replacing Wael al-Halqi.

The new 32-seat cabinet headed by Khamis has 14 new ministers and four ministers of state, including Information Minister Ramez Tarjaman, the former head of the national Syrian TV.

Ministers at the Electricity Ministry, the Industry Ministry, the Economy Ministry, the Oil Ministry, and the Ministry of Finance have all been replaced.

Defense Minister Fahed Jassem al-Fraij, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, Interior Minister Muhammad al-Sha'ar, and Justice Minister Najm al-Ahmad as its minister retained their old positions in the new cabinet.

The new government didn't include any of the home-based opposition figures.

Formation of the new government came weeks after the Syrian parliament was elected. The opposition boycotted the elections.

The new government is the sixth to be formed under the presidency of al-Assad, who succeeded his father in ruling the country in 2000.

The last government was formed in August 2014, following the re-election of al-Assad. Endit