Timeline for Syrian Elections Unveiled by Rebel Leader

In an exclusive interview, Ahmed al-Sharaa, head of the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, revealed a potential four-year timeline for new elections in Syria, following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad. He highlighted the need for constitutional reform, a legal overhaul, and increased security for minority groups within the country.

In a recent broadcast interview, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), announced that establishing a new election framework in Syria could take up to four years. This marks the first specific timeline he has provided since his forces successfully led a campaign against former President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Speaking to Saudi state broadcaster Al Arabiya, Sharaa suggested that drafting a new constitution may consume as much as three years and that meaningful improvements in public services could be anticipated within a year.

Amid the changing political landscape, Sharaa stressed the importance of rebuilding Syria’s legal system, including conducting a comprehensive population census for legitimate electoral processes. As a significant player in the newly established authorities after Assad's fall earlier this month, Sharaa—formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani—faced scrutiny regarding HTS's governance strategies in the ethnically diverse nation.

HTS, which evolved from its jihadist origins and previous affiliations with extremist factions like ISIS and al-Qaeda, is scheduled to undergo a transformative phase at an upcoming national dialogue conference, during which the group is expected to be "dissolved." The conference will serve as a litmus test for the new leadership's commitment to unification in a country fractured by over thirteen years of civil unrest.

Sharaa defended the composition of his transitional government amid criticisms, asserting that the selections made were crucial and intended to be inclusive. He also affirmed the commitment to safeguarding the rights of Syria’s various ethnic and religious minorities, which encompass diverse groups such as Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, Christians, Druze, Alawites, and Arab Sunnis—the latter being the predominant Muslim demographic.

In parallel to the political shifts, reports indicate that close to 300 individuals linked to Assad's loyalist forces have been detained during a recent crackdown. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights revealed that the majority of those arrested—informants, pro-Assad soldiers, and former military personnel—were captured with the help of local communities. The state news agency Sana confirmed similar operations aimed at detaining regime fighters and seizing their weapons.