Syria Prepares for First Parliamentary Elections Under New Leadership in September

Syria is preparing to hold its first parliamentary elections under new leadership in September, according to an announcement by Mohammad Taha, the official overseeing the electoral process. The voting for the 210-seat People’s Assembly will take place from September 15 to 20, as reported by the state news agency SANA.

A draft of the new election law, presented to President Ahmed al-Shara, increases the number of seats in the assembly from 150 to 210. One-third of these seats will be directly appointed by the president. The government has promised broad representation and announced that foreign observers will be allowed to monitor the electoral process.

Seats will continue to be allocated based on population ratios for regions outside government control, particularly the Kurdish areas in northern Syria and the Druze-majority Suwayda province.

Expectations for the New Parliament:
The new parliament is expected to approve significant legislation aimed at restructuring long-standing state-controlled economic policies and to vote on treaties that could reshape Syria’s foreign policy alliances.

This process is also intended to lay the groundwork for a more inclusive democratic structure. However, some critics argue that minority groups remain underrepresented.

In March, a constitutional declaration came into effect, setting a new framework for the transition period. The declaration centralizes Islamic law while guaranteeing women’s rights and freedom of expression. However, this has been criticized by civil society organizations and some Western countries, who argue that the Islamist leadership in power has excessively concentrated authority.