Syria’s de facto leader says holding elections could take up to four years

It’s the first time Ahmed al-Sharaa has commented on an electoral timeline since ousting longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.

Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, says holding elections in the war-ravaged country could take as long as four years.

It is the first time the new Syrian leader has commented on a possible electoral timetable since opposition fighters, led by al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad three weeks ago.

Drafting a new constitution could take up to three years, al-Sharaa told Saudi Arabia’s state-owned broadcaster Al Arabiya on Sunday.

He said elections would likely be held after four years because a new census is to be conducted to specify the numbers of eligible voters in the country. “Any meaningful elections will require conducting a comprehensive population census,” he said.