Syria’s Rebel Leader Said It May Take Four Years Before The Country Can Hold Presidential Elections

The head of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group and the new de facto leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has said that it could take up to four years to hold new elections in the country.

This is the first time that al-Sharaa, also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has provided a timeline for Syria’s future since his group toppled President Bashar al-Assad’s regime on Dec. 8.

During an interview with Al Arabiya on Sunday, Dec. 29, al-Sharaa said that drafting a new constitution may require approximately three years and that an election  might take three to four years, in order to conduct a comprehensive population census to ensure they are valid.

“Today, we are rebuilding the state, not just resuming the way it was run before. Drafting the constitution should not be a “fast food” process; it must be done with extreme care and under strict oversight,” Al-Sharaa said.

He said that substantial improvements in public services could be expected within a year following the regime change, but that there are many complexities involved in establishing a legitimate electoral process after decades of authoritarian rule under the Assad regime.

When asked, Al-Sharaa also said that HTS will be dissolved soon at a national conference and that they “were mentally and morally prepared for this matter” when they launched the surprise offensive.

“The state cannot be governed by factions and groups,” he said.

HTS, the main opposition group that led the lightning offensive against Assad, used to be affiliated with al-Qaeda but cut ties in 2016 and has been since trying to project a more moderate image.

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