Syria's New Parliament Meets for First Time Since Assad's Ouster

Syria's newly formed parliament met for the first time on Sunday, marking a significant milestone in the country's political transition nearly nineteen months after rebels led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa toppled Bashar al-Assad's government in Damascus.

Addressing lawmakers at the inaugural session, Sharaa urged the chamber to become a model of responsibility and competence, describing it as a platform for truth and justice. "Syria is writing a glorious history that reflects its heroism, and we face the responsibility of building both the nation and the individual," he said.

The convening of parliament has been widely regarded as a test of Sharaa's commitment to building an inclusive political order after decades of Assad family rule, during which the legislative chamber functioned largely as a rubber stamp for the executive.

How chamber formed

The 210-seat assembly was filled through a two-stage process. Two-thirds of the members were selected last year through regional electoral colleges, while Sharaa personally appointed the remaining third on 1 July. Officials have defended the arrangement by pointing to years of displacement and the absence of reliable population records or voter rolls that would make a conventional election impractical at this stage. Critics, however, argue the process gives the executive branch excessive control over who sits in the chamber.

Under a temporary constitutional declaration introduced in 2025, parliament's powers remain limited. The government is not required to win a parliamentary vote of confidence, though the assembly can propose and approve legislation. The chamber has a thirty-month term, which is renewable, and will hold legislative authority until a permanent constitution is adopted and elections are organised. Sharaa has said he supports holding general elections once infrastructure and documentation make it feasible.

Women account for 21 of the 210 seats, roughly ten per cent of the total, with fifteen of those having been among Sharaa's personal nominations. Authorities have not released a formal breakdown of ethnic and religious minority representation, though unofficial tallies suggest around ten seats went to members of minority communities including Kurds, Christians and Alawites, the sect to which Assad belongs.

Four seats remain vacant, with three reserved for the predominantly Druze province of Sweida yet to be filled. Authorities said the selection there had been postponed until conditions became suitable. The region has remained outside central government control following clashes last July in which around 1,700 people were killed, according to the United Nations.