Syrian opposition leader calls for 18 month transition period before elections

Syria should have an 18-month transition period to establish "a safe, neutral, and quiet environment" for free elections, Hadi Al-Bahra, the head of Syria's main opposition abroad, said to Reuters on the sidelines of the Doha Forum on Sunday.

In a seismic moment for the Middle East, Syrian rebels seized control of Damascus on Sunday, forcing President Bashar al-Assad to flee after more than 13 years of civil war, ending his family's decades-long rule.

The lightning offensive sparked concerns in Arab capitals and raised fears of a new wave of regional instability, as well as questions over whether the rebels will be able to ensure an orderly transition.

Al-Bahra, President of the Syrian National Coalition, said Syria should draft a constitution within six months, on which the first election would be a referendum.

"The constitution will ask if we are going to have a parliamentary system, presidential system, or mixed system? And based on this, we do the election and the people choose their leader," said Al-Bahra.

He added that the opposition had asked state employees to continue to report to work until the power transition and assured them that they would not be harmed.

A quick collapse, but what comes next?

Assad's swift toppling followed a shift in the balance of power in the Middle East after many leaders of Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah group, a lynchpin of Assad's battlefield force, were killed by Israel over the past two months. Russia, Assad's other key ally, has been focused on the war in Ukraine.

"It was like a domino effect. So it was clear that (Assad) decided to leave. I felt relief but also a little sad. He should be held accountable for all the crimes that he did," Al-Bahra said.