BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Monday it would take between four and five years to hold presidential elections, the first time he has laid out a timeline for the vote since he was named transitional president last week.

Syria could need up to five years to hold its first presidential elections after the ouster of long-time leader Bashar al-Assad, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said in a TV interview on Monday. He estimated four to five years until the elections,

Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa was declared president for a transitional phase on Wednesday, tightening his hold on power less than two months after he led a campaign that toppled Bashar al-Assad.