Syria to have election after four years

The de facto leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, stated that holding an election in the war-torn country could take up to four years.

This is the first time the new leader of Syria has discussed the possibility of an election timetable since opposition fighters, led by al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), ousted the long-term leader Bashar al-Assad three weeks ago.

Al-Sharaa told Saudi state media outlet Al Arabiya on Sunday that drafting a new constitution could take up to three years.

He mentioned that it is likely an election could be held four years from now because a new census must be conducted to determine the number of voters in the country. “Any meaningful election will require a population census,” he said.

Al-Sharaa noted that Syrians are likely to witness tangible changes in their country within a year. He stated that HTS, the largest military and political force in Syria, will be dissolved at the national dialogue conference.

His comments come as the new government in Damascus aims to assure its neighbors of peace and stability in the ethnically diverse country.

Al-Sharaa said that Syria shares strategic interests with Russia, a close ally and military supporter of al-Assad throughout the 13-year Syrian conflict, reiterating reconciliation signals previously made by his government. This month, he stated that Syria’s relationship with Russia serves mutual interests.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov mentioned that the status of Russia’s military bases in Syria would be a topic in his discussions with the new leadership in Damascus.

Al-Shara also expressed hope that the administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump would lift sanctions on Syria.

Senior American diplomats visiting Damascus this month reported that they had met with al-Sharaa and that Washington had decided to remove a $10 million bounty placed on the HTS leader’s head.