New elections could take up to four years, Syria rebel leader says
Rebel leader Ahmed Sala said in a radio interview that it could take up to four years to hold new elections in Syria.
This is the first time he has given a timetable for possible elections in Syria since his group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led the rebel offensive to oust former President Bashar al-Assad.
He told Saudi state broadcaster Al Arabiya in an interview on Sunday that drafting a new constitution could take up to three years.
He said it could be another year before Syrians start to see significant changes and improvements in public services after the Assad regime is overthrown.
Sala said Syria needs to rebuild its legal system and must hold a comprehensive census to hold legitimate elections.
salad – Formerly known as Abu Muhammad al-Jolani – He leads the country’s new government after President Assad stepped down earlier this month.
Since then, questions have been raised about how HTS will govern the multi-ethnic country.
HTS began as a jihadist group that advocated violence to achieve the goal of a state governed by Islamic law (Sharia), but has distanced itself from its past in recent years.
Sala said the group, which had been allied with the Islamic State and al-Qaeda and was designated a terrorist organization by the United Nations and many countries, would be “disbanded” at the upcoming national dialogue conference, but gave no further details.
The meeting could be the first test of whether Syria’s new leadership can deliver on its promised goals of uniting the country after 13 years of civil war.
Responding to criticism of the transitional government, he said the appointments made were “necessary” and were not meant to exclude anyone.
Syria is home to many ethnic and religious groups, including Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, Christians, Druze, Alawite Shiites, and Arab Sunnis, who make up the majority of the Muslim population.
His organization is committed to protecting the rights and freedoms of the country’s minorities.
Meanwhile, nearly 300 people have been arrested in a crackdown on Assad loyalists over the past week, according to the Britain-based war monitor.
Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said those arrested included informants, pro-regime fighters and former soldiers.
He told AFP the arrests were made “with the cooperation of the local population”.
Syria’s state news agency Sanaa also reported arrests this week targeting “members of Assad’s militia” and the seizure of weapons and ammunition.
