Syria's leader Ahmed al-Sharaa believes that it will take up to five years to plan and implement an election in the country. A demanding and crucial part is that the infrastructure in the shattered Syria must be restored.
It takes time, says al-Sharaa in an interview on Syrian TV.
In late December, he hoped for elections within four years.
The rebel leader of the Islamist HTS, who overthrew President Bashar al-Assad and his regime in December, was elected by militant commanders as interim president a week ago.
But in the pre-recorded interview, al-Sharaa promised a democratic development in the form of "a republic with a parliament and an executive government".
Lately, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt have expressed support for Ahmed al-Sharaa.
