Syria holds first parliamentary elections since the overthrow of the Assad regime

On Sunday, October 5, Syria held its first parliamentary elections after the overthrow of the dictatorial regime of Bashar al-Assad. As reported by Reuters , France24 , Sana, the voting is indirect and takes place through the electoral college system.

The voting was attended by 6,000 members of electoral college from different provinces, who will determine one-third of the seats in the new parliament. It will consist of 210 members. Another 70 will be appointed by interim President Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda fighter whose rebel forces overthrew Assad in December 2024.

"After the preliminary results are announced, we will submit a report to the president of the republic so that he can start selecting the last third. We will also give the candidates the opportunity to voice any objections," said Mohammed al-Ahmed, head of the Syrian High Electoral Committee .

According to the authorities, it is impossible to hold elections under the direct procedure, as many Syrians have been displaced within the country or fled the country, having lost their documents due to the civil war.

Citing security and political reasons, authorities postponed voting in three minority provinces, leaving 19 seats in parliament empty until after the vote.

Human rights activists believe that this format of elections does not reflect the real opinion of the people and is too centralized, as the choice of 70 MPs appointed by Sharaa will determine whether the new parliament will become legitimate or a tool for decision-making in favor of the current government.

"I support the government and I am ready to defend it, but these are not real elections," said Luay al-Arfi, 77, a retired civil servant. – "This is a necessity during the transitional phase, but we want direct elections to take place afterwards.".

According to the rules, candidates should not be "supporters of the former regime" and should not promote secession or partition.

• on May 24, the US eased sanctions against Syria after Trump's promise, and on May 28, the EU joined in.
• On September 25, Ukraine and Syria restored diplomatic relations.