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Despite having tenuous links with fighters on the ground and
seen as out of touch with ordinary Syrians, the National
Coalition remains one of the main parties in international
discussions to find solutions to the almost four-year civil war.
Khaled Khoja takes over as president from Hadi al Bahra, who is
considered to have close links with Saudi Arabia. Bahra served
for one term and did not run for a second but will be in the
political committee.
Khoja, a 49-year old Damascus-born doctor and businessman, won
56 votes out of 106 votes cast at a closed meeting in Istanbul
on Sunday. The 111-member body also elected a new secretary
general and vice presidents.
The role of the vice president reserved for a Kurdish member had
not yet been filled, as the Kurdish bloc had not yet presented a
new nominee, the National Coalition said.
(Reporting by Dasha Afanasieva; Editing by Louise Ireland)
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