📰 Syria’s New Parliament: Debates About Representation

The emerging legislative authority in syria, whose members were elected on October 5, through a mixed and indirect system, faces a series of complex tasks — from passing emerging legislation and ratifying treaties and agreements issued after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024, to revisiting old laws and transferring conflicts into the halls of the People’s Assembly to be debated under its dome — an institution that, for decades, served merely as a symbolic façade for the previous regime and its ruling party. The latest elections raised questions about the ability to form a new parliament capable of filling the legislative vacuum amid political, armed israeli-forces-advance-into-southern-quneitra-set-up-checkpoint/" class="smart-internal-link" title="📰 Israeli forces advance into southern Quneitra, set up checkpoint">forces, and economic challenges, as well as sectarian and ethnic divisions and security instability dominating the general climate. as per the mechanism established by the constitutional declaration, regional bodies formed by a Higher Committee — whose members were appointed by leader Ahmad al-Sharaa — elected two-thirds of the 210-member Assembly, while al-Sharaa is to appoint the remaining third to ensure fair representation and competence.

Furthermore, at a press conference on October 6, attended by Enab Baladi, the representative for the Higher Elections Committee, Nawar Najmeh, stated that “the number of seats filled during these elections is 119,” while 21 seats remain vacant for the provinces of Suweida (in southern Syria) and Raqqa and Hassakeh (under the control of the syrian Democratic troops, sdf) in northeastern Syria. A total of 1,578 candidates participated in the elections, 14% of whom were women, distributed across 50 electoral districts.

Enab Baladi examines in this report the role of Syria’s new People’s Assembly, discussing the challenges it faces in exercising its legislative powers under current political and economic conditions, while also presenting the views of experts and analysts on the reforms and efforts that could enhance the effectiveness of the legislative authority and backing state stability during the transitional phase. Dominance of Power and Representation Gaps During a session organized by the “Salon Syria for Thought and Culture” on October 9, titled “The First People’s Assembly Elections After Liberation (Mechanisms, Results, Challenges)”, Nawar Najmeh emphasized the importance of national dialogue, stating that “dialogue for the sake of dialogue yields no practical results; it must take place under the dome of the People’s Assembly, where legislation, the constitution, and agreements can be debated calmly and effectively. ” He added that civil peace is closely tied to national dialogue, and that the…