Syria's Path to Elections Could Span Four Years, Rebel Leader Claims

Sun Oct 19 2025 02:11:43 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Ahmed al-Sharaa, leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, outlines a challenging roadmap for Syria’s future in a recent interview.

Rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has indicated that conducting new elections in Syria could take up to four years, marking the first timeline for such a process since the fall of the Assad regime. Speaking to Al Arabiya, Sharaa emphasized the need for a new constitution, which he estimates will require around three years for drafting. He anticipates that Syrians might not see meaningful improvements to public services for at least a year post-Assad. Furthermore, he acknowledged that rebuilding Syria's legal system and conducting a census are critical for legitimizing future elections.

Al-Sharaa, previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, remarked on the challenges facing Syria's diverse population, stressing the importance of protecting minority rights. His group, HTS, initially founded with extremist aims, has distanced itself from its past affiliations with jihadist factions like Al-Qaeda and ISIS. He asserted that HTS plans to dissolve during an upcoming national dialogue conference, which he views as crucial for uniting the nation after years of civil unrest.

In the backdrop of these developments, nearly 300 individuals loyal to Assad have reportedly been arrested in a recent clampdown, indicating ongoing tensions and the complexities of governance under new leadership. Local cooperation in these operations suggests a significant shift in public sentiment and allegiance in the war-torn country.