Syria’s main political opposition will nominate a new leader to unify a fractured coalition when members reconvene in Istanbul on Thursday.

Syria's main political opposition will nominate a new leader to unify a fractured coalition when members reconvene in Istanbul on Thursday, an official said.

Frontrunners include the secretary general of the Syrian National Coalition
Mustafa al-Sabbagh, and Ahmad Assi Jarba, representing the faction of veteran
secular dissident Michel Kilo. Interim president Georges Sabra may also seek nomination.

The opposition has been rudderless after the departure in May of Ahmad Moaz
al-Khatib in protest at what he called the world's "inaction" over Syria's civil war.

The nomination of a new chief had initially been mooted for the end of May
but was postponed after eight days of talks stalled in the face of conflicting
views on the future direction of the coalition.

Under pressure from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other regional powers, the
opposition agreed in the May meeting to accept new groups under the umbrella of
the coalition.

The nomination of vice-presidents and other senior leaders was also on the
agenda at the opposition group's general assembly, to be held over two days in
the Turkish city.

The coalition will also likely discuss the Geneva II international peace conference.

The assembly takes place after a series of setbacks for the insurgents
including the fall of Qusayr to the Syrian Arab Army, a former opposition bunker near the Lebanese border used to store smuggled weapons and mercenaries to fight the national military.
Syria was hit by a violent unrest since mid-March 2011, where the Syrian government accuses foreign actors of orchestrating the conflict by supporting the militant opposition groups with arms and money.