Overview
- President Ahmed al-Sharaa named 70 lawmakers on Wednesday, completing the 210-member People's Assembly and prompting a first session to be held next week.
- Two-thirds of seats were chosen last year by regional electoral colleges while al-Sharaa's appointees included at least 15 women, with outlets reporting the final female total as between 21 and 23 members.
- The Assembly will serve a 30-month term and can propose and approve laws but it has constrained authority under the March 2025 temporary constitution and cannot force a government confidence vote.
- Syrian rights groups, political figures and the United Nations say the presidency's role in forming electoral bodies and naming appointees, plus delayed voting in Sweida and mass displacement, raise serious questions about the chamber's independence and broad legitimacy.
- Members are to be sworn in and elect parliamentary leadership on Monday, and their work on a new elections law will shape when and how millions of displaced Syrians might take part in future popular votes.