Damascus: Syria will hold its first parliamentary election since liberation on Sunday, with voting to be conducted by an electoral committee formed across the country’s provinces. The voting process marks the formation of the first Syrian People’s Assembly since the fall of the defunct regime and will take place at designated electoral district centers across most provinces, as set by the Higher Committee for Parliamentary Elections.
According to Syrian Arab News Agency, 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. Polling stations will open at 9 a.m. tomorrow, as stated by Nawar Najmeh, spokesperson for the Higher Committee for Parliamentary Elections. Eligible voters are members of the accredited electoral bodies, required to present identification, receive voting cards, and proceed to the head of the local committee to obtain an officially stamped ballot. Voters will fill out their ballots in private before placing them into the ballot box.
Najmeh explained that the initial voting period will conclude at 12 noon, with the possibility of an extension until 4 p.m. if not all members have voted. After voting concludes, ballot boxes will be opened publicly, and vote counting will begin, with preliminary results announced immediately through national media. The spokesperson said that once preliminary results are released, any objections will be reviewed by appeals committees. Final results will be announced in an official press conference on the following Monday or Tuesday.
Extensive preparations took place across the provinces in anticipation of the elections. The nomination period for assembly membership closed on September 28, covering 50 electoral districts nationwide, with 1,578 candidates, including 14 percent women. Campaigning began on September 29 and concluded Friday evening, with October 4, 2025, designated as the official election silence day.
The election is conducted 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 electoral process. The decree stipulates assembly seats be distributed according to population density and categories of notable figures and professionals, with one-third appointed by the president and two-thirds elected through regional committees.
Under Decree No. 143 of 2025, the People’s Assembly will have 210 members, with electoral districts organized at the administrative level. Candidacy is limited to members of these electoral bodies. The Higher Committee for Parliamentary Elections conducted field visits across provinces to gather citizens’ suggestions on the temporary electoral system.
Subcommittees in each district, selected in consultation with community and official representatives, will supervise the election process, coordinate with local communities, propose preliminary electoral body lists, and oversee polling centers. Independent judicial appeals committees, composed of judges appointed by the Minister of Justice, have been established to review objections related to subcommittee members, electoral body lists, and election results.
The stage of submitting appeals regarding preliminary lists of electoral committee members was crucial in last month’s electoral process. Nawar Najmeh told SANA that the appeals mechanism and public oversight serve as safeguards against defunct regime supporters infiltrating electoral committees. The committee monitored social media and reviewed evidence suggesting the presence of such individuals, revoking their membership if appeals were upheld.
Final lists of electoral committee members, published on September 26, adhered to eligibility criteria, including: Members must not have served in or run for the People’s Assembly after 2011 unless they can prove defection, must not support the defunct regime, terrorist organizations, separatist movements, or foreign interference; 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 since the fall of the defunct regime on December 8, 2024, marking a pivotal step in establishing new legislative institutions reflecting Syria’s transitional phase.