Syrian leader says holding elections could wait up to four years

(Patria) - Holding elections in Syria could wait up to four years, said Syrian de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in a statement aired on Sunday, the first time he has spoken about possible elections since Bashar al-Assad was ousted this month, Reuters reported.

Drafting a new constitution could take up to three years, Sharaa said in an interview with Saudi state television Al Arabiya. He also said it would take about a year for Syrians to see drastic changes.

Sharaa's comment, who leads the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham that toppled Assad on December 8, comes as the new government in Damascus seeks to convince its neighbors that it has moved away from its roots in Islamist militancy.

While Western powers have largely welcomed the end of the Assad family's rule in Syria, it remains unclear whether the group will impose strict Islamic rule or show flexibility and move towards democracy.

Sharaa said that HTS, formerly known as the Nusra Front, would be dissolved at a conference on national dialogue. Asked about dissolving the group, Sharaa said: "Of course. The country cannot be governed by the mentality of groups and militias."

The group was once linked to the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, but has disavowed them and sought to reposition itself as a moderate group. HTS has repeatedly promised to protect minority groups, who fear the new rulers might seek to impose an Islamist government, and has warned against attempts to incite sectarian conflict.

According to Sharaa, the national dialogue conference would include broad participation from Syrian society, with voting on issues such as dissolving parliament and the constitution.

On the situation in northeastern Syria, Sharaa said talks are underway with all parties to resolve remaining disputes, including the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are allies of the United States.

"We refuse for Syria to become a platform for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to launch attacks on Turkey," he said.

He said weapons should only be under state control, adding that the defense ministry would welcome those capable of joining the army.

Responding to a question about concerns from neighboring countries regarding Islamist groups, he said:

"We will not work on exporting the revolution. We want to manage the phase with the mentality of a state, not a revolution," he said, reiterating that they want to establish strategic relations with all countries in the region.