(BBC News) Holding new elections in Syria could take up to four years, rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has said in a broadcast interview.
This is the first time he has given a timeline for possible elections in Syria since his group Hayat Tahrr al-Sham (HTS) led a rebel offensive that ousted former President Bashar al-Assad.
In the interview with Saudi state broadcaster Al Arabiya on Sunday, he said drafting a new constitution could take up to three years.
He said it could also be a year before Syrians begin to see significant change and improvements to public services following the overthrow of the Assad regime.
Sharaa said Syria needed to rebuild its legal system and would have to hold a comprehensive population census to run legitimate elections.
Sharaa — previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani — has led the country’s new authorities after the Assad presidency fell earlier this month.
Since then, questions have been raised over how HTS will govern the multi-ethnic country.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g29e1lejvo
