Syria’s De Facto Leader Says Holding Elections Could Take Up to Four Years

31/12/2024

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. 

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