HTS, which Ahmed al-Sharaa is also the leader of, took power in Syria together with other rebel groups earlier in December. They forced the then President Bashar al-Assad to flee to Russia.
Ahmed al-Sharaa tells the Saudi Arabian TV station Al-Arabiya that the new constitution can take up to three years to complete and that organizing elections can take up to four years. He emphasizes that "all forms of proper elections will require a comprehensive census" which takes time.
Ties with Iran, Russia
Furthermore, al-Sharaa comments on the foreign policy under the new regime.
Syria cannot continue without having ties to a regionally important country like Iran, but these must be based on mutual respect for both countries' sovereignty and non-interference in each other's affairs, he said.
Syria also shares "important strategic interests" with Russia, according to al-Sharaa. As an example, he mentions that Syrian weapons come from Russia and that Russia manages energy facilities in Syria.
Several Challenges
He also praises Saudi Arabia, and hopes that the incoming Trump administration will lift the sanctions against Syria. Furthermore, Kurdish forces will be integrated into the Syrian army, he promises.
HTS has been labeled as a terrorist organization by, among others, the UN and the USA. Now the group is trying to distance itself from its origins in the terrorist organization al-Qaida, and in several interviews, the interim government has assured that Syria will be governed in an inclusive and tolerant manner. Among other things, the Minister of Education has promised that girls will be allowed to attend school.
But many Syrians, not least women, are still skeptical about whether they can trust the promises. Specifically, women's status and human rights are considered two areas that can become a challenge for the new regime.
