Syrian president approves temporary electoral system for parliament

DAMASCUS/ISTANBUL

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree Wednesday approving the temporary electoral system for the People’s Assembly (parliament) to elect two-thirds of its members.​​​​​​​

“President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmed al-Sharaa, issued on Wednesday decree No. (143) of 2025, approving the temporary electoral system for the Syrian People’s Assembly,” according to the Syrian news agency SANA.

The decree approved by al-Sharaa outlines the conditions related to the electoral process, the requirements for membership in the People’s Assembly, the committees linked to the process, and the criteria for membership in the electoral body and election committees.

The decree sets the total number of People's Assembly members at 210, with two-thirds elected by electoral bodies formed in governorate constituencies based on demographic and administrative distribution, and the remaining one-third appointed by the president.

The decree also regulates procedures for appeals and the functions of higher, subsidiary, and legal committees and aims to ensure transparency and integrity in the electoral process. It further stresses the independence and full neutrality of the committees in carrying out their duties.

At the end of July, the Syrian president received the final draft of the temporary electoral system for the People’s Assembly.

Meanwhile, the head of the Supreme Committee for the People’s Assembly Elections, Mohammad al-Ahmad, announced Wednesday that the country’s constituencies have been divided into 62 districts.

Al-Ahmad said: “The constituencies have been divided into 62 districts where the nomination and election process will take place.”

He noted that the committee will “begin practical procedures tomorrow (Thursday) and will start receiving proposals for the membership of electoral bodies in the newly divided districts, leading up to the election, vote counting, and announcement of results.”

Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December 2024, ending the Ba'ath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963. A new transitional administration led by Sharaa was formed in January.