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2h ago

Syria Holds Contested Selection for First Post-Assad Parliament

About 6,000 appointed electors are choosing most seats, with 70 reserved for Ahmed al-Sharaa’s picks.

Syria will select members for its first parliament since Islamist rebels overthrew Bashar al-Assad
A Syrian passes posters showing Syrian-American Jewish candidate Henry Hamra, a candidate for Sunday's parliamentary elections, in the Jewish neighbourhood of old Damascus on October 3. AP
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Overview

  • Roughly 6,000 commission-selected electors are voting to fill about 140 of 210 seats from a pool of more than 1,500 candidates, with women comprising 14 percent of those running.
  • Sweida and Kurdish-held northeastern areas are excluded from the process, leaving 32 seats vacant and reflecting stalled negotiations over Kurdish integration.
  • Interim authorities say a direct nationwide vote is not feasible due to displacement and missing documents, and the new assembly will have a renewable 30-month mandate under a temporary constitution.
  • Rights groups denounce the process as undemocratic for concentrating power under al‑Sharaa through his control of the elections commission and 70 direct appointments, while residents describe muted campaigning and low public engagement.
  • Organizers expect preliminary results after today’s balloting and a final list on Monday, with candidate rules barring backers of the former regime and featuring entrants such as Syrian-American Henry Hamra.