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Syria’s Assad Confirms New Cabinet Lineup

DUBAI (Sputnik) - Syrian President Bashar Assad issued a decree on Sunday that will see Hussein Arnous head a new national government, the presidency said.
Sputnik

The cabinet is made up of 29 ministers, including two women who are in charge of culture and social affairs and labour. The ministers of oil and electricity have been replaced after a blast at a major gas pipeline near the capital of Damascus caused power outages across the nation.

Over 7,300 Polling Stations Open for Elections to Syria's 250-Seat Parliament

Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, Defense Minister Ali Abdullah Ayyoub, Interior Minister Mohammad Khaled al-Rahmoun, and Economy and Foreign Trade Minister Mohammad Samer al-Khalil retained their positions in the reshuffle.

Assad nominated Arnous, the prime minister in the outgoing government, to form a new cabinet this week following a parliamentary election in July.

The election took place in most of the country's territory, resulting in the victory of the National Unity coalition led by the ruling Baath party, receiving 183 seats out of 250.

The Syrian economy and infrastructure have been severely undermined by the ongoing civil war between the government of President Bashar Assad and various insurgent groups.

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