Syria to establish new parliament, testing inclusivity pledge

Election excludes Kurdish-led areas and Druze province; People's Assembly will have limited powers under presidential system

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A woman takes an oath during the selection of subcommittee members supervising Syrian parliament elections in Damascus on September 3, 2025.

(REUTERS FILE)

Syria is preparing to establish the first parliament since Bashar Al Assad was toppled, a milestone in the transition from his rule but one that has stirred new concerns about political inclusivity under President Ahmed Al Sharaa.

Regional committees have selected electoral colleges that will elect two-thirds of the 210-member People’s Assembly, on October 5. Sharaa appoints the remaining third.

The authorities say they resorted to this system rather than universal suffrage due to a lack of reliable population data and displacement after years of war.

The process is unfolding as Sharaa tries to consolidate his hold over a fractured nation, with suspicion of his Islamist-led administration running deep among minority Kurds, Druze and Alawites.

The process is run by an 11-member body appointed by Sharaa in June. This body in turn appointed regional subcommittees that selected members of regional electoral colleges, after local consultations. A preliminary list of some 6,000 electors has been announced. To run for parliament, you must first be selected as a member of an electoral college.