Assad fires official amid crisis
Economic woes in Syria spurring anti-government protests
DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian President Bashar Assad on Thursday fired his prime minister a month ahead of elections as the economic crisis worsens and public anger rises in the territory under his control.
Assad also appointed the current minister of water resources to replace Imad Khamis, who had been the premier since 2016. The Syrian president asked Hussein Arnous to replace Khamis as interim premier until parliament elections are held in July and a new government comes in.
The decision comes amid an economic crisis that Assad’s government is grappling with while public anger has spilled over into the streets. Such protest scenes have not been seen in government-held areas since the early days of the civil war, which has ravaged the country over the past decade.
There was no explanation for the sacking of Khamis, but the move appeared aimed at deflecting public anger, which has targeted the prime minister but rarely the president himself.
The economic meltdown comes ahead of new U.S. sanctions against any entity or country that does business with the Syrian government. The new sanctions are due to take effect in the second half of June. Known as the U.S. Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, the sanctions are expected to worsen the already dire situation in Syria, where more than 80 percent of the people live below the poverty line.
Prices of basic goods have skyrocketed while some staples have disappeared from the market as merchants and the public struggled to keep up with the rising cost of living.
The hardships have sparked protests in areas controlled by the Assad government. Hundreds of protesters in the southern Sweida province have taken to the streets in the past four days, decrying the rising cost of living and chanting against Assad in scenes reminiscent of the anti-government protests that erupted in 2011.
The U.S. Embassy in Syria tweeted Wednesday that the Assad government is responsible for the meltdown, accusing it of squandering millions each month on a “needless war.” Washington will continue its sanctions, it said, “until there is irreversible progress on the political process,” including a cease-fire.