Syria’s first parliamentary election since the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad has exposed sharp disparities in gender and minority representation, even as authorities tout it as a step toward national reconstruction.
Official results posted in Damascus indicate that indirect voting selected 119 members, accounting for two-thirds of the new People’s Assembly. President Ahmad al-Sharaa will appoint the remaining 70 members, aiming to balance the composition of the 210-seat legislature. Officials have stated that the appointments may assist in addressing the imbalance in gender and minority representation, as 21 seats remain vacant in Suwayda, Raqqa, and Hasakeh due to ongoing security and administrative challenges.
The electoral commission also revealed that women hold only 4 percent of the seats, and there are only 2 Christians. At a press conference, Nawar Najmeh, spokesperson for the Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections, acknowledged “unsatisfactory representation of Syrian women” and “weak Christian representation,” although he maintained that the process was transparent and fair.
The results represent a major milestone in terms of Syria’s transition from more than a decade of conflict that killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions. However, concerns have been raised that the indirect voting system, where about 6000 members of regional electoral colleges selected candidates from preapproved lists, favored well-connected individuals. However, authorities justified the system by citing the lack of reliable population data following years of war.
Due to political and logistical complications, the election did not take place in Kurdish-held areas in the north and northeast, as well as in parts of southern Syria. Negotiations aiming to integrate Kurdish-administered institutions into the national framework, agreed upon in March, have been stalled. Najmeh mentioned the possibility of holding supplementary ballots after resolving the issues.
Observers have also noted that a majority of the elected members can be recognized as Sunni Muslim men. However, in major cities such as Damascus, Aleppo, and Hama, voters have expressed optimism that the polls could mark the beginning of a political era with a greater focus on representation.
The new assembly is expected to monitor government performance and support Syria’s ongoing efforts towards reconstruction and reconciliation. Political and rights activist Nour al-Jandali, who has been elected for a seat in Homs, Syria’s central city, placed a focus on the government’s role in “re-establishing a state built on freedom, citizenship, and justice,” stressing the need to have a greater involvement of women in policymaking.
Despite the ongoing conflicts between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian army in the region of Aleppo, officials have acknowledged that the election has been fair and transparent, with Najmeh sharing his confidence in the new assembly’s capacity to evolve into a “critical and revolutionary institution capable of overseeing efforts contributing to Syria’s recovery.
