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Istanbul: Syria's opposition National Coalition
has elected Ghassan Hitto, a communications executive who has been
resident in the United States for decades, as prime minister for
rebel-held areas of Syria.
Hitto won a vote held in Istanbul by the group, getting 35 out of
a possible 48 votes, Coalition member Hisham Marwa said.
The vote
came after about 14 hours of closed-door consultations among 63
coalition members, with some describing Hitto as a consensus
candidate pleasing both the opposition's Islamist and liberal
factions.
Other Coalition members, however, withdrew from the
consultations before the vote could take place, reflecting
divisions within the opposition. When the voting finally took
place, members placed their ballots in a transparent box in the
conference hall where the much-awaited meeting took place.
"This
is a transparent, democratic vote," said Coalition leader Mouaz
Al-Khatib, Al Jazeera reported.
Hitto arrived in the conference hall minutes after the count, and
was met with a round of applause as he shook hands with Coalition
members.
"I give great thanks to the heroes and revolutionaries of
the Syrian people. We are with you," said Hitto, who recently
moved from Texas to Turkey to help coordinate aid to rebel-held
areas.
When asked what the first priority of his interim
government would be, he said: "We'll talk about that tomorrow."
The provisional prime minister is expected to appoint a cabinet
over the next two to four weeks, Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith
reported from Istanbul.
"One of the most significant appointments
he'll have to make will be that of defense minister," Smith said,
citing the challenge that minister will face in unifying the armed
opposition under the umbrella of the provisional government.
Coalition members hope the new government will unite the rebels
fighting Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad's forces and provide
services to Syrians living in rebel-held areas, many of which have
been battered by the country's civil war and suffer acute
shortages of food, electricity and medical services.
The
provisional leadership faces huge challenges, starting with its
ability to gain recognition from rebel factions on the ground.
As
rebels have progressed in northern and eastern Syria, a patchwork
of rebel groups and local councils have sought to fill the gap
left by the government's withdrawal by organising security
patrols, reopening bakeries and running courts and prisons.
It is
unclear if these groups, many of which have taken charge of their
own towns, will accept an outside authority.
Hitto's election
follows two failed attempts to form provisional governments due to
opposition infighting.
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