Syria concluded its first parliamentary elections on Sunday since Bashar Assad's government collapsed. The Central Electoral Commission oversaw a vote by approximately 7,000 to 8,000 people, who chose 140 members of parliament. Meanwhile, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa will appoint the remaining 70 lawmakers to complete the 210-member assembly. Officials said more than 1,500 candidates competed for seats, but the Kurdish-held northeast and Druze-majority Sweida province were excluded because they remain outside Damascus's control.
The new parliament will serve a renewable 30-month term under a temporary constitution announced in March. Al-Sharaa previously stated that direct elections were impossible because millions of Syrians fled abroad or were displaced by war. President Donald Trump met with al-Sharaa in May and lifted sanctions imposed during Assad's rule, a decision the Syrian leader called historic and courageous.
The new parliament will serve a renewable 30-month term under a temporary constitution announced in March. Al-Sharaa previously stated that direct elections were impossible because millions of Syrians fled abroad or were displaced by war. President Donald Trump met with al-Sharaa in May and lifted sanctions imposed during Assad's rule, a decision the Syrian leader called historic and courageous.
