🗳️ Syria holds 1st elections after Assad’s fall, new system amid controversy

QAMISHLI, syria (North Press) – Syria held its first parliamentary elections on Sunday since the fall of former leader Bashar al-Assad’s regime, but the vote was marred by the official-calender/" class="smart-internal-link" title="📰 Assyrian Organization rejects exclusion of Akitu Holiday from Syria’s official calender">exclusion of key regions. Polling stations opened across multiple governorates, excluding Suwayda and the areas run by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). Nawar Najma, representative for the High Commission for the People’s Assembly Elections, verified that voting commenced at 9 AM. Voters received their ballots, marked their choices in private booths, and cast their votes publicly into the ballot boxes.

Moreover, voting was scheduled to close at noon, with a possible extension until 4 PM. Around 6,000 voters from regional electoral bodies were expected to participate, with 1,570 candidates running for office. Despite the subdued campaign atmosphere, the elections represent a significant step in Syria’s political transition.   In conjunction with the elections, a emerging electoral framework was introduced by a decree issued by Transitional leader Ahmad al-Sharaa. The decree established the High Commission for the People’s Assembly Elections, comprising 10 members plus the president, to oversee the entire election process. as per the decree, members of the electoral commission are allocated based on the population density of the governorates and the representation of intellectuals and notable individuals.

One-third of the commission members will be appointed by the president, while the remaining two-thirds will be elected through electoral committees.   In a separate decree, the number of seats in the People’s Assembly was set at 210. The electoral districts will be organized along administrative regions, with each district electing two-thirds of the assembly members. Candidacy is restricted to members of these electoral bodies.   The newly formed People’s Assembly will serve a term of two and a half years, with an option for extension. Additionally, authorities have defended this system, stating that it was implemented due to a lack of reliable population data and the displacement of millions of Syrians due to the ongoing war.

Additionally, for security and political reasons, elections were postponed in the AANES-run areas, as well as in Suwayda, primarily controlled by Druze militias. In fact, consequently, 19 parliamentary seats are expected to remain vacant. Reporting by Abdulsalam Khoja Editing by Jwan Shekaki