Damascus, July 19 (IANS): Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Saturday appointed Najah Attar as the new vice president, media reported.
Najah Attar has served as the vice president for cultural affairs since 2006 and the new presidential decree has appointed her as the sole vice president, Xinhua reported citing state-run news agency SANA.
Sources told Xinhua that Assad has appointed Attar in accordance with the new constitution to be his vice president during his third seven-year term in office which officially started July 17.
SANA news agency gave no details about the former vice president Farouq al-Sharaa, who has served in the Syrian government since the days of Hafez al-Assad, the father of incumbent President Bashar al-Assad.
Sharaa was foreign minister from 1984 until 2006 when he became vice president of Syria.