Syria is set to conduct its first parliamentary elections under the new administration of President Ahmed al-Sharaa this September, according to a Sunday announcement by Mohamed Taha, head of the electoral commission, via state-run media outlet SANA.
The vote for the expanded 210-member People’s Assembly is scheduled to take place between September 15 and 20, according to Reuters.
A revised electoral law has been submitted to the president, increasing the number of parliamentary seats from 150 to 210, with one-third of the assembly members to be directly appointed by the president.
Syrian authorities claim the vote will reflect “broad representation,” and have stated that foreign observers will be permitted to monitor the electoral process. Despite the country’s fragmented control, seats will reportedly be distributed based on population figures, including in areas held by Kurdish factions in northern Syria and the Druze-majority province of Sweida, which remain outside Damascus’ full authority.
Among the assembly’s responsibilities will be the ratification of sweeping economic reforms aimed at dismantling longstanding centralized economic structures, along with the endorsement of international treaties that could alter Syria’s foreign alignments.
In March, President Sharaa’s government introduced a constitutional declaration to guide the transitional period. While the document affirms the role of Islamic law, it also includes provisions for women’s rights and freedom of expression.
Nevertheless, Western governments and civic groups have voiced concern over the growing influence of Syria’s Islamist-led leadership and the potential erosion of democratic safeguards.