Syria to Form Transitional Parliament in September Amid Concerns Over Representation and Stability
“The election of members of the People's Assembly is expected to take place between 15 and 20 September,” Ahmad stated, pledging that women would be represented in the process.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Syrian authorities announced Sunday that a new transitional parliament will be formed in September, with two-thirds of the lawmakers to be selected by local electoral bodies and the remaining third appointed by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, according to AFP.
The announcement comes months after the ousting of longtime President Bashar al-Assad in December, marking the end of nearly 14 years of civil war. The new leadership, under President Sharaa, has since dissolved the former legislature and adopted a temporary constitutional declaration outlining a five-year transition period.
In June, a presidential decree established a 10-member supervisory committee to oversee the formation of local electoral bodies. On Sunday, state-run news agency SANA reported that committee head Mohammed Taha al-Ahmad met with President Sharaa to finalize the process and announced plans for a 210-seat parliament—140 members elected by local bodies and 70 appointed by the president.
“The election of members of the People's Assembly is expected to take place between 15 and 20 September,” Ahmad stated, pledging that women would be represented in the process.
During their meeting, Ahmad presented Sharaa with the final framework for the selection process. According to SANA, local electoral bodies will be formed within approximately three weeks of the signing of the temporary system’s decree. Once established, candidate registration will open, giving prospective lawmakers about one week to present their platforms before public debates commence.
Under the temporary constitutional declaration adopted in March, the new assembly will hold a renewable 36-month mandate and will exercise legislative authority until a permanent constitution is ratified and full elections are held.
However, the declaration has drawn criticism from opposition figures and civil society groups who argue it grants excessive power to Sharaa and fails to adequately represent Syria’s ethnic and religious diversity.
Questions also remain about the interim government’s ability to maintain security and protect minority communities, especially in light of repeated outbreaks of violence in which government-aligned forces have been implicated.
