BEIRUT: Syria’s opposition-in-exile body the National Coalition (SNC) said Tuesday it had voted to force out its interim government and form a new one within a month.

 

Attempts to form a viable government-in-exile for Syria’s opposition have been hamstrung by rivalries between its backers and among its members, as well as by its inability to establish itself inside Syria.

 

The Coalition is designated as the main body representing the opposition by the United States and other major powers, but it has little influence over rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar Assad.

 

The group said in a statement Tuesday it was dissolving its interim cabinet to “create new ground for work on the basis of moving the government into the interior as soon as possible, and employing Syrian revolutionary capabilities.”

 

Speaking to AFP by phone, opposition member Samir Nashar said interim Prime Minister Ahmad Tohme was sacked “for political reasons, but also because of his management” of the interim body.

 

Tohme is close to the Muslim Brotherhood, which has a strong influence in the opposition but is opposed by Saudi Arabia.

 

Backed by Qatar, “the Muslim Brotherhood dominated the government ... and Saudi Arabia let its allies [in the opposition] know that they needed to cut ties with the group,” said Nashar.

 

Voted in July 9, SNC chief Hadi al-Bahra is close to Saudi Arabia, as is his predecessor Ahmad Jarba.

 

“Tohme’s management [of the government] was poor. He tried to get support by handing [political posts] to allies, Nashar said, adding that “some 10 to 15 people were handed jobs as consultants.”

 

One of Tohme’s most unpopular moves, said Nashar, was his decision to dissolve the rebel Supreme Military Council. The decision was later revoked by Jarba.

 

Ahmad Ramadan, an opposition politician who was against the decision, agreed that the move was rooted in a dispute between Tomeh and Jarba, over Jarba’s attempts to form a military government.

 

“Things are heading toward a crisis that will lead to weakening the opposition’s position even more,” he said, adding it would be “almost impossible” for an opposition government to work inside Syria, for security reasons. “There is no clear strategy,” he said.

 

Critics have accused Tomeh of being ineffective, and he suffered a political defeat at a Coalition general assembly meeting this month when he had to reverse his decision to fire the military wing’s chief of staff.

 

The Coalition statement said Tomeh and other ministers would continue as caretakers until the new government was formed. Nominations would be open for two weeks and a new government formed within 30 days.

 

The dissolution of the government comes two weeks after the group elected Bahra, a U.S.-trained industrial engineer, to replace Jarba after he served his maximum two six-month terms.

 

Both Bahra and Jarba have close ties to Saudi Arabia, one of the main backers of the rebels trying to overthrow Assad.

 

Bahra had also been chief negotiator at U.S. and Russian-sponsored peace talks in Switzerland, which stalled after two rounds in January and February.