Sharaa was also empowered to form a temporary legislative council for a transitional period and the Syrian constitution was suspended, according to an announcement made by the military command

The new leadership of the country said the rebel coalition leader, Ahmed al-Shara, would serve as president during a transitional period.

A former rebel leader who helped defeat Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last month was named interim president of the country Wednesday.

Sharaa was already de facto head of Syria's government ever since a coalition of rebel fighters swept through most of Syria and ousted Assad's regime.

Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has been named president for the "transitional period", state media report, seven weeks after he led the rebel offensive that overthrew Bashar al-Assad. Rebel military commander Hassan Abdul Ghani also announced the cancellation of Syria's 2012 constitution and the dissolution of the former regime's parliament,

Sharaa, a rebel once aligned with al-Qaida, as Syria's president “in the transitional phase,” came after a meeting of the former insurgent factions in Damascus, the Syrian capital.

Sharaa, on Wednesday abolished the country’s constitution and declared himself president during a meeting of armed factions in Damascus. The former rebel leader will “assume the duties of the Presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic and represent it in international forums,