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Geopolitics

Meet Bashar al-Assad’s New Prime Minister

AL-ARABIYA (Saoudi Arabia) / SANA (Syria)

DAMASCUS - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had commissioned a regime insider to form the next government according to the al-Arabiya news channel. Riad Hijab, who served as minister of agriculture in the previous government, was appointed to replace outgoing Prime Minister Adel Safr.

The formation of the new cabinet comes days after the opening of the new parliament, where Assad gave a speech about why he refuses to negotiate with the "terrorists' seeking to destroy the country.

The new prime minister is 56 years old and comes from the eastern, largely tribal province of Deir a-Zor, one of regions rising against the regime. He holds a Ph.D in agricultural engineering, and served as secretary of the Baath Party in Deir a-Zor from 2004 until 2008, Hijab was then appointed as governor of the Qunautra and Azqah provinces.

As the cabinet is reshuffled, fighting continues across Syria between rebels and the army, with 51 people reported killed on Tuesday. Syria expelled diplomats from several countries, a list of which is found on the Syrian official news agency website, SANA, which declared "diplomacy an important tool to communicate and to resolve pending disputes and problems."

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Ideas

Is Thailand Ready To Be A Bonafide Democracy?

Thai voters spoke in favor of Pita Limjaroenrat's Move Forward party, bringing hopes of in-depth reform of the country's institutions. But that doesn’t guarantee Thailand’s opposition forces will be able to form a government, or that the military will ultimately give way.

Photo of Leader of Thailand's Move Forward Party, Pita Limjaroenrat, celebrating election results in Bangkok on May 14.

Leader of Thailand's Move Forward Party, Pita Limjaroenrat, celebrating election results in Bangkok on May 14.

Greg Raymond

The last time voters headed to the polls in Thailand was in 2019, following five years of a repressive military dictatorship. Thai voters spoke nervously of their democratic aspirations and allowed a military-led government into power.

Now, after four years of a functioning parliamentary democracy, Thai voters have roared. With nearly all votes counted in Sunday’s parliamentary election, they have resoundingly rejected the junta and its successor military-proxy parties.

Thailand’s most progressive party, Move Forward, looks set to gain the most seats in the new parliament. Close behind is the more established and similarly liberal Pheu Thai party of the polarising Shinawatra dynasty.

Following them in third place is Bhumjaithai. This rural-based, more traditional party of patronage politics had recently been the previous government’s coalition partner.

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