Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, stated on Sunday that holding elections in the country could take up to four years. The comments mark the first time he has discussed a potential electoral timeline since Bashar Al-Assad was ousted earlier this month.
Speaking with Al Arabiya and quoted by Reuters, Sharaa explained that drafting a new constitution might require up to three years. He also estimated that it would take around a year for Syrians to witness significant changes.
Sharaa, who was previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, leads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group responsible for toppling Assad on December 8. His comments come as the new administration in Damascus works to reassure neighboring countries of its shift away from its origins in Islamist militancy.
HTS was once a part of Al-Nusra Front, which is Syria’s Al-Qaeda branch, and is labeled a terrorist organization by many Western governments.
HTS later broke off from Al-Nusra Front and prioritized combatting Al-Qaeda as well as the Islamic State (ISIS), of which Sharaa was critical, describing its self-proclaimed caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq as "illegitimate".
The group’s swift campaign to oust Assad brought an end to Syria’s 13-year civil war but left numerous questions about the future of the country, where foreign powers such as Turkey and Russia hold significant and potentially conflicting interests.
While Western nations have broadly welcomed the end of Assad family rule, doubts remain about whether the new leadership will impose strict Islamic governance or transition toward a democratic system.
In the interview, Sharaa announced that HTS would be dissolved during a national dialogue conference.
“Of course,” he said when asked about dissolving the group. “A country cannot be run by the mentality of groups and militias.”
Sharaa emphasized that the national dialogue conference would involve broad participation from Syrian society and address key issues such as dissolving parliament and drafting a new constitution.
Addressing the situation in northeastern Syria, Sharaa said discussions were ongoing with all parties, including the US-allied Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), to resolve outstanding disputes.
“We reject Syria becoming a platform for the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to launch attacks against Turkey,” he said.
He also stressed that weapons must remain under state control, adding that the Ministry of Defense would welcome capable individuals into the national army.
Sharaa also expressed hope that the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump would lift sanctions on Syria. According to senior US diplomats who visited Damascus this month, Sharaa has demonstrated a pragmatic approach, and Washington has decided to remove the $10 million bounty on his head.
In response to concerns from neighboring states about Islamist groups, Sharaa assured, “We will not work on exporting the revolution. We want to manage the phase with the mentality of the state and not revolution.”
He added that the new leadership is committed to building strategic relations with all regional countries.