Syria's HTS leader says holding elections could take up to 4 years

The head of a group leading Syria's interim government has said in an interview on Sunday that holding elections in the country could take up to four years after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad's administration.

Golani said drafting a new constitution may require three years, while organizing elections could take up to four years as it requires a comprehensive population census. He suggested that recognizing eligible voters will take time because many Syrians were internally displaced or fled to other countries during the civil war.

Golani made clear that HTS will be among the armed groups in Syria to be disbanded toward the reorganization of the country's military and security entities. He said that will be officially announced at a meeting of the national dialogue conference, an inclusive forum to be held shortly to discuss the future of the country.