Syria’s political transition will take years, de facto leadership warns

Syria’s de-facto leader said it could be years before the country holds new elections, as uncertainty remains over the country’s future governance following the toppling of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime.

Speaking to Saudi broadcasters, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham chief Ahmed al-Sharaa said drafting a new constitution and holding national elections could take up to four years. Syrian citizens, meanwhile, will likely not see significant changes or improvements to public services for at least a year, Sharaa said.

While Western governments have welcomed Assad’s fall, the “longer than expected transition” could worry officials concerned over the rights of Syria’s many ethnic and religious minorities and women, the Financial Times wrote. Washington and other Western capitals are weighing removing sanctions imposed on the Assad regime, as well as terrorist designations on HTS, which led Assad’s ouster.