Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, stated that organizing elections in Syria could take up to four years, marking his first comments on an electoral timeline since the ousting of Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.
Roadmap to Elections and New Constitution
In an interview with Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya, Sharaa explained that drafting a new constitution might require three years, with an additional year needed for visible, drastic changes. His remarks follow the Dec. 8 removal of Assad by Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, which led a rapid campaign that ended Syria’s 13-year civil war.
Sharaa announced plans to dissolve HTS during a national dialogue conference, emphasizing that Syria must transition away from militia-style governance.
“Of course, a country cannot be run by the mentality of groups and militias,” he said.
Once affiliated with al-Qaeda, HTS has renounced its ties to the terrorist organization and rebranded itself as a moderate force, vowing to safeguard minority groups and resist sectarian division.
The national dialogue conference will involve broad participation from Syrian society, with votes addressing critical issues such as dissolving parliament and drafting a new constitution.
Addressing northeastern Syria, Sharaa confirmed ongoing negotiations with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to resolve disputes. He underscored the need for state control over arms while rejecting the use of Syrian territory as a base for attacks on Turkey by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Sharaa pledged cooperation with neighboring countries, affirming that Syria would not export revolution and instead focus on governance.
Sharaa reiterated Syria’s alignment with Russia, a key ally during the civil war. He noted that discussions with Moscow would determine the future of Russian military bases in Syria.
“It is a question of maintaining our bases and their operational conditions,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with RIA.
Sharaa also expressed optimism about U.S.-Syria relations under President-elect Donald Trump, hinting at a potential lifting of sanctions and the removal of a $10 million bounty previously placed on him. Sharaa assured that Syria’s leadership aims to establish inclusive and strategic relationships with regional and global powers while steering the nation toward a stable and unified government.
