Next Syrian presidential election

Next Syrian presidential election
← 2021
Before 2030
Governorates of Syria
Incumbent President

Ahmed al-Sharaa
Independent



A presidential election in Syria is planned to take place within five years of the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.[1] Until then, Syria will be governed by a transitional government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa.[2]

Background

In May 2021, Ba'athist Syria under Bashar al-Assad conducted its final presidential election, which he won by a landslide with over 95% of the popular vote.[3] The election was widely dismissed internationally as an illegitimate sham election marked by substantial electoral fraud.[4] Assad ultimately did not complete his term; his government collapsed on 8 December 2024 following renewed Syrian opposition offensives led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) amid the Syrian civil war.[5][6]

Ahmed al-Sharaa subsequently became the country's de facto leader as the head of HTS.[7] On 9 December, HTS released a video featuring al-Sharaa, then–Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-JalalI, and Mohammed al-Bashir, the Prime Minister of the Syrian Salvation Government.[8] On the same day, following the fall of the Assad regime, as the head of the de facto government in Idlib, al-Bashir was tasked with forming a transitional government after meeting with al-Sharaa and outgoing Prime Minister al-Jalali to coordinate the transfer of power.[9][10] The next day, al-Bashir was officially appointed by the General Command of Syria as the prime minister of the caretaker government.[11][12]

On 29 January 2025, during the Syrian Revolution Victory Conference, Hassan Abdul Ghani, the spokesman of the rebels' Military Operations Command, announced the appointment of al-Sharaa as the president of Syria.[13] Abdul Ghani stated that al-Sharaa would govern the country during the transitional period, assume the duties of the president, and represent the nation on the international stage.[14][15]

In March 2025, al-Sharaa ratified a Constitutional Declaration for the transitional period, establishing Syria as a presidential republic without a prime minister, setting a five-year transition period,[16] and announcing the formation of a transitional government.[17]

Date of the election

Shortly after the fall of the Assad regime, Hadi al-Bahra, president of the Syrian National Coalition, said that an 18-month transitional period was needed to establish "a safe, neutral, and quiet environment" for free elections, as outlined in the UNSC Resolution 2254.[18] However, the newly declared president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, stated that elections would need at least four to five years to take place, citing the need to first re-establish the infrastructure for elections by holding a comprehensive population census and drafting a constitution, which he estimated "may take two or three years."[1][19][20]

In a meeting with al-Sharaa, French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot and German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock urged Syria's new leadership to avoid undue delays in holding elections.[21]

In a September 2025 interview with 60 Minutes, al-Sharaa said elections would be held once Syria's infrastructure and citizens' records are restored. He stated that he wants Syria to be a place where every person can vote.[22]

On 6 December 2025, at the Doha Forum, al-Sharaa told Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s Chief International Anchor, that the national dialogue conference held after the liberation had resulted in a temporary constitutional declaration granting him a five-year mandate to pass new laws and draft a new constitution ahead of elections scheduled in four years.[23]

References

  1. ^ a b "Syria's Sharaa says it will take 4-5 years to hold presidential election". Reuters. 3 February 2025.
  2. ^ "Syrian leader signs constitution that puts the country under an Islamist group's rule for 5 years". CNN. Associated Press. 2025-03-13. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
  3. ^ "Assad wins Syrian election dismissed as farce by critics". BBC News. May 27, 2021. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
  4. ^ "Syrian Election Shows The Extent Of Assad's Power". NPR.org. 26 May 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-05-26. Retrieved 2021-05-28. The election result is a foregone conclusion, and does little to build relations with Western governments. But it is a useful tool for the Syrian regime to project legitimacy with governments in the region.
  5. ^ Picheta, Rob; Regan, Helen (December 9, 2024). "After decades of brutal rule, Bashar al-Assad's regime has been toppled". CNN. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  6. ^ "Bashar al-Assad: Sudden downfall ends decades of family's iron rule". BBC News. December 9, 2024. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
  7. ^ "Ahmed al-Sharaa named Syria's transitional president". BBC. 31 January 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025. Ahmed al-Sharaa has been Syria's de facto leader since leading the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad
  8. ^ Saleh, Heba; Jalabi, Raya (9 December 2024). "Syrian rebels seek to consolidate control". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  9. ^ "Syrian rebels name Mohammed al-Bashir head of transitional government". Le Monde. 10 December 2024. Archived from the original on 22 March 2025. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  10. ^ "المعارضة السورية تكلف محمد البشير بتشكيل حكومة انتقالية" [Syrian opposition assigns Mohammed al-Bashir to form new government]. Al Jazeera Arabic (in Arabic). 9 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  11. ^ "Mohammed al-Bashir to head Syria's transitional government". Enab Baladi. 10 December 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  12. ^ "Der Islamist im Anzug: Wer ist der syrische Übergangspremier Mohammed al-Bashir?" [The Islamist in a suit: who is the Syrian interim prime minister Mohammed al-Bashir?]. Die Presse (in German). 10 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  13. ^ "General Command appoints Ahmed al-Sharaa as President of Syria". Enab Baladi. 29 January 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  14. ^ Kourdi, Eyad; Tawfeeq, Mohammed (29 January 2025). "Former al Qaeda member named as Syria's president for transitional period". CNN. Archived from the original on 30 January 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  15. ^ "الشرع رئيسا لسوريا وحل الفصائل وحزب البعث وتعطيل الدستور" [Sharaa as President of Syria, dissolving factions and the Baath Party, and suspending the constitution]. Al Jazeera Arabic (in Arabic). 29 January 2025. Archived from the original on 29 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  16. ^ "Syria's Constitutional Draft Set for Release as Fact-Finding Committee Begins Investigations". Watan News. 12 March 2025. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
  17. ^ "President al-Sharaa announces formation of the New Government: We are witnessing the birth of a new phase in our national process". Syrian Arab News Agency. 30 March 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  18. ^ "Syrian opposition leader calls for 18 month transition period before elections". Reuters. December 8, 2024. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
  19. ^ "Syria's Rebel Leader Offers Hint of Timetable for Potential Elections". The New York Times. December 30, 2024.
  20. ^ Ebrahim, Nadeen; Salem, Mostafa (30 December 2024). "Syrian elections could take up to 4 years to organize, de facto leader says". CNN. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
  21. ^ "French, German foreign ministers meet Syria's de facto rulers". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
  22. ^ "Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's journey from al Qaeda to rebuilding his country after rebellion - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 12 October 2025. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
  23. ^ "President al-Sharaa outlines Syria's path toward stability, rebuilding, and recovery". 2025-12-06. Retrieved 2025-12-07.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft:Next_Syrian_presidential_election