Takeaways from Ahmed al Sharaa interview: Elections only after four years

Ahmed al Sharaa, the head of Syria's new administration, has revealed key insights into the country's transitional period, cautioning that it might take as long as four years to reach the stage of holding presidential elections.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Saudi state-owned Al Arabiya TV on December 29, Al Sharaa stressed the importance of ties with Iran and Russia, and called on the United States to remove sanctions on the country.

Al Sharaa, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), emerged as the undisputed leader of war-ravaged Syria after Bashar al Assad, the regime leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on December 8.

Here are the key takeaways from the interview.

Electoral timeline

Elections could take up to four years, as it requires a comprehensive population census, Al Sharaa said in the interview.

In the current state, over a decade of civil war has displaced millions of Syrians, both internally and externally, and refugees and internally displaced persons are often in flux, making data collection nearly impossible.

Dissolution of armed groups

Sharaa said HTS and other armed factions would be dissolved at an upcoming “national dialogue conference,” aiming to facilitate the formation of a transitional government.

The conference would feature broad participation from Syrian society, with votes addressing key issues such as the dissolution of the parliament and the constitution, according to the Syrian leader.

Al Sharaa described the current stage as “preliminary to a longer interim government”.

He defended the uniformity of appointments within the transitional government despite criticisms, saying the approach was crucial to maintain coherence during this critical period.

“The current appointments were essential for the period and not intended to exclude anyone,” he stated.

Al Sharaa dismissed the idea of distributing political power among various groups or factions at the current stage, arguing it could disrupt the transitional process.

Constitution

The Syrian leader also stressed the need to “rewrite the constitution”, which he said could take “two or three years”.

During a visit this month, UN special envoy Geir Pedersen expressed hope that Syria would “adopt a new constitution” and eventually hold “free and fair elections” following a transitional phase.

Diplomats from the United States, Türkiye, the EU, and Arab nations have also previously called for the establishment of "an inclusive, non-sectarian, and representative government" created through a transparent process.

Public services

Al Sharaa predicted that it would take about a year to see drastic improvements in public services across the country.

The 13-year civil war has seen the destruction of much of the infrastructure in Syria, leading to limited access to essential services such as healthcare, electricity, education, public transportation, water, and sanitation in Syria.

The transitional leadership has pledged improvements, such as integrating international partnerships and encouraging Turkish businesses to support reconstruction.

Türkiye has signalled its plans to take a prominent role in addressing Syria’s energy needs, building on its current provision of electricity to some regions within the war-torn country.

A Turkish delegation recently travelled to Damascus to assess Syria’s energy infrastructure, with officials expressing a willingness to expand electricity supplies to both Syria and Lebanon.

However, efforts to rebuild public services face significant challenges, including but not limited to Western sanctions.

Sanctions

Ahmed al Sharaa urged the US to lift the sanctions imposed on Syria during the Assad regime, which has left the country impoverished and ravaged by war.

“We hope the incoming Trump Administration will not follow the policy of its predecessor,” Al Sharaa said.

“The sanctions on Syria were issued based on the crimes that the regime committed,” he noted, arguing that with Assad no longer in power, “these sanctions should be removed automatically”.

Relations with Russia

Syria’s new leadership seeks to preserve “strategic relations” with Russia, Al Sharaa said, recognising the critical role Russian air support played in propping up Bashar al Assad’s regime throughout the protracted war.

“All Syria's arms are of Russian origin, and many power plants are managed by Russian experts...We do not want Russia to leave Syria in the way that some wish,” Sharaa said.

Russia’s military footprint in Syria remains significant, anchored by key installations such as the Hmeimim airbase and the naval facility in Tartus.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that discussions with the new leadership in Damascus would determine the future of Russia’s military bases in Syria.

“It is a question not only of maintaining our bases or strongholds, but also of the conditions of their operation, maintenance and provision, and interaction with the local side,” he told the Russian news agency RIA in an interview published on December 29, the same day the interview with Al Arabiya was held.

Negotiations with the SDF

Al Sharaa also firmly stated that the government would not permit Syria to be used as a launching pad for PKK attacks.

“Weapons must be in the hands of the state alone. Whoever is armed and qualified to join the defence ministry, we will welcome them,” Al Sharaa said.

The SDF is an extension of the PKK/YPG, a group designated as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the EU, and the United States.