Syria’s Baath Party announced on Monday it has replaced its top leadership, including Vice President Farouk Sharaa.

Syria’s Baath Party announced on Monday it has replaced its top leadership, including Vice President Farouk Sharaa.

The party's central committee "held a lengthy meeting... on Monday morning," at which "a new national leadership was chosen," the Baath party website said.

It published the names of 16 members of the new leadership, which included none of the party's old chiefs with the exception of President Bashar al-Assad.

The website said Assad would remain the party's secretary general.

Among those newly elected to the leadership are parliament chief Jihad al-Laham and Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi.