BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- The main Western-backed opposition group in Syria has elected an interim prime minister. It’s part of moves to firm up its standing as a viable political alternative.

The Syrian National Coalition voted during a meeting in Istanbul on Saturday to name Ahmad Tumeh, a dentist and longtime political activist, to lead the group.

Ahmad Tumeh said, "Syria will be a republic for all Syrians. It will be the republic of human beings. It has no place for murderers and criminals and your government will work on affirming the principles of our great revolution to achieve equality between all citizens and proceed towards transitional justice."

Tumeh will be charged with organizing governance in parts of Syria controlled by disparate rebel factions. According to the Coalition, Tumeh has a history of dissent from the Syrian government going back to 2001. It was then he joined groups calling for more freedoms and the release of political prisoners.

A biography released by the SNC says Tumeh was detained multiple times and once was sentenced to two-and-half years in prison. After his last detention in 2012, he left the country for Turkey. Tumeh is the second SNC member to fill the post. Ghassan Hitto resigned in July after serving only a few months.

(Source: CNTV.cn)