Change Syria: HTS boss announces radical reforms and new elections!

Change Syria: HTS boss announces radical reforms and new elections!

In a dramatic turn in the Syrian conflict landscape, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), announced the dissolution of his militia. This happened in an interview with Al-Arabiya, where he explained that an official announcement should be made at an upcoming conference for national dialogue. According to Sharaa, however, it will take three years for a new constitution to work out and then the elections can be held. So far, the demand for "meaningful elections" and a broad consensus within the Syrian population of experts has been severely questioned, since the HTS had previously exerted authoritarian rule in northwestern Syria, which was shaped by torture and political persecution, as human rights activists reported.

negotiations of the new leadership

The HTS boss, previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani under the combat name, also called for the cancellation of international sanctions to enable the Syrian refugees to return. In a meeting with British diplomats, he expressed that the lifting of the sanctions was essential to promote the return of the refugees to Syria. However, the EU has sent clear signals here: An end to the sanctions is subject to the fact that the new rulers guarantee the rights of minorities and the protection of women, as the EU foreign officer Kaja Kallas stated.

In a further step, the new rulers, including HTS supervisors, strive to restore diplomatic relationships. There were reports on discussions from London, Paris and Berlin with the new Syrian authorities. While the British government has already sent a delegation to Damascus, the German federal government is also planning talks with both representatives of the Syrian transitional government and civil society. In addition, France announced that it would establish a diplomatic contact with the new rulers, whereby a message maintained limited relationships with the country. These developments provide a promising outlook on the future political landscape of Syria, after the HTS took control of Damascus on December 8, such as