Syria will hold its first parliamentary election since liberation on Sunday, with voting to be conducted by Electoral committee formed across the country’s provinces.
The first Syrian People’s Assembly to be formed since the fall of the defunct regime.
The voting process, which will mark the formation of the first Syrian People’s Assembly since the fall of the defunct regime, will take place at designated electoral district centers across most provinces, as set by the Higher Committee for Parliamentary Elections. A later date will be scheduled for voting in certain areas of Raqqa and Hasakah provinces (Ma’dan, Ras al-Ayn, and Tal Abyad), while seats in the remaining districts of these provinces, as well as all districts in Sweida province, will remain vacant until conditions allow.
Who is eligible to vote?
Polling stations will open at 9 a.m. tomorrow, according to Nawar Najmeh, spokesperson for the Higher Committee for Parliamentary Elections. Eligible voters are members of the accredited electoral bodies. They will present their identification upon arrival, receive their voting cards, and then proceed to the head of the local committee to obtain an officially stamped ballot. Voters will fill out their ballots in a private voting booth before placing them openly into the ballot box.
According to Najmeh, the initial voting period will conclude at 12 noon. If not all members of the electoral bodies have cast their votes by that time, polling may be extended until 4 p.m. at the latest.
Vote Counting and Announcement of Results
After voting concludes, the ballot boxes will be opened publicly in the presence of the media, and the counting of votes will begin. Preliminary results will be announced immediately through national media outlets.
The spokesperson for the Supreme Committee said that once the preliminary results and names are released, any objections from members of the electoral committee regarding voting or counting procedures will be reviewed by appeals committees. The final results will then be announced during an official press conference held by the Higher Committee for Parliamentary Elections on the following Monday or Tuesday.
Who is running for membership in the People’s Assembly?
In the lead-up to the elections, extensive preparations took place across the provinces. The nomination period for membership in the People’s Assembly closed on September 28, covering 50 electoral districts nationwide, with a total of 1,578 candidates, of whom 14 percent were women.
The candidates’ campaign period began on September 29 and concluded Friday evening, making October 4, 2025, the official election silence day.
New Electoral Mechanism
The election is being held under a new temporary system established by Presidential Decree No. 66 of 2025, issued by President Ahmad al-Sharaa. The decree created the Higher Committee for Parliamentary Elections, composed of ten members plus its chair, Mohammad Taha al-Ahmad, to oversee the entire electoral process.
The decree stipulates that assembly seats be distributed according to population density across the provinces and according to the categories of notable figures and professionals. One-third of the seats are to be appointed by the president, while the remaining two-thirds are elected through regional electoral committees.
Under a separate decree, No. 143 of 2025, the People’s Assembly is set at 210 members. Electoral districts are organized at the administrative level, each consisting of one or more areas, with its electoral body responsible for electing two-thirds of the assembly seats. Candidacy is limited to members of these electoral bodies.
Measures Implemented by the Higher Committee for Elections
Since its formation, the Higher Committee for Parliamentary Elections has conducted field visits across the provinces and held meetings with all segments of Syrian society to gather citizens’ suggestions and opinions on the temporary electoral system.
The committee selected members of the subcommittees in each district in consultation with community and official representatives. These subcommittees are tasked with supervising the election process, coordinating with local communities, proposing preliminary lists of electoral body members, and overseeing polling centers and staff.
Independent judicial appeals committees, composed of judges appointed by the Minister of Justice, have also been established in each province. These committees are responsible for reviewing objections related to subcommittee members, final electoral body lists, and election results within the districts.
Electoral Committee Members’ Appeals Stage
The stage of submitting appeals regarding the preliminary lists of electoral committee members in the provinces was considered one of the most critical steps in last month’s electoral process. Nawar Najmeh told SANA that the appeals mechanism, along with public oversight, serves as the final safeguard against the infiltration of defunct regime supporters into the electoral committees. He noted that the committee monitored all social media platforms, reviewing any documents or evidence suggesting the presence of such individuals, and their membership would be immediately revoked if the appeals were upheld.
Eligibility Criteria for Electoral Committee Members
The final lists of electoral committee members, published on September 26, adhered to specific eligibility criteria, including:
- Members must not have served in or run for the People’s Assembly after 2011 unless they can prove their defection.
- Members must not support the defunct regime, terrorist organizations, separatist movements, or foreign interference.
Additional requirements included:
- Representation of professionals at 70 percent and community leaders at 30 percent.
- Ensuring social, demographic, and professional diversity.
- Guaranteeing at least 20 percent female representation, along with representation for displaced persons, families of martyrs, revolution victims, people with disabilities, and survivors of detention.
The new Syrian People’s Assembly will serve a two-and-a-half-year term, which may be extended.
These elections are the first of their kind since the fall of the defunct regime on December 8, 2024, marking a pivotal step in establishing new legislative institutions that reflect Syria’s transitional phase.
Amer Dhawa
