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Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar: Damascus reshapes local governance in areas with Alawite majorities
Lebanese newspaper *Al-Akhbar* reported that the transitional authorities in Damascus are working to reshape their influence in Syria’s coastal areas through measures aimed at reducing the role of religious sheikhs in managing the affairs of some villages and towns, while increasing the presence of members of the Alawite community in local councils and government institutions.
According to the newspaper, the measures cover areas in Latakia, Jableh, Tartus and Baniyas. They are part of a pilot plan lasting several months, intended to restructure local governance and establish new channels of communication with members of the community, as part of a broader move toward administrative decentralization in rural areas.
The report cited the town of Qarfis as the latest example of these measures. It said that the sheikhs who had managed the town’s affairs—directly or in a supervisory capacity—since 2024 were removed. The municipal council is now staffed by members of the Alawite community without religious backgrounds, none of whom have been accused of involvement in crimes linked to the former regime.
