Two-thirds of the 210-seat People’s Assembly is being selected by electoral colleges, while the remaining 70 members are appointed directly by al-Sharaa. The structure has prompted accusations that the new parliament will be dominated by figures handpicked by Syria’s de facto ruler rather than representing genuine popular choice.
Voting was held Sunday in 60 districts, where about 7,000 members of electoral colleges cast ballots. Seats allocated to the Kurdish-held northeast and the Druze-majority Suwayda province remain vacant after elections there were postponed due to local tensions.
Civil society groups warned last month that al-Sharaa’s ability to appoint one-third of lawmakers, coupled with his influence over the selection of electors, effectively gives him control of the chamber. “You can call the process what you like, but not elections,” said Bassam Alahmad, head of Syrians for Truth and Justice.
Analysts also questioned the credibility of the process, citing a lack of transparency in how electoral subcommittees were formed. Haid Haid of the Arab Reform Initiative said the system appeared “vulnerable to manipulation.”
Syria’s new authorities dissolved political parties after the fall of the Assad government, leaving all candidates to run as independents drawn from electoral colleges. Critics argue this has excluded minorities and women, with only 14 percent of candidates female.
Interim officials defended the model, saying direct elections were impossible given the number of displaced Syrians lacking documentation. “We don’t even know how many Syrians are in Syria today,” said Benjamin Feve, an analyst at Karam Shaar Advisory.
Supporters of the transition argue the assembly could still help prepare ground for a future popular vote. But doubts linger over whether a body shaped by al-Sharaa — a man whose past as an al-Qaeda affiliate casts a long shadow — can deliver the constitutional democracy many Syrians hoped for.