Syria’s First Post-assad Parliament Takes Shape As Interim President Names 70 Lawmakers

DAMASCUS, Syria — The first Parliament successful Syria’s post-Assad era took style Wednesday pinch nan announcement of 70 legislators selected by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa to subordinate nan 140 chosen successful elections complete nan past 8 months.

The 210-member Parliament will clasp its first gathering connected Monday erstwhile nan members will beryllium sworn in, nan caput of Syria’s electoral committee, Mohammed Taha al-Ahmad, told reporters.

The motorboat of nan Parliament indicates that nan state is moving up pinch drafting caller laws arsenic it recovers from decades of autocratic norm nether nan Assad family and a deadly warfare that killed astir half a cardinal people.

The 70 legislators picked by al-Sharaa included 15 women, which raised nan number of female members successful nan legislature to 22.

Syria held nan first shape of its parliamentary elections successful October while excluding nan confederate state of Sweida, which is controlled by Druze gunmen opposed to nan cardinal government. The ballot astatine nan clip besides excluded northeast Syria, which was nether Kurdish control.

A ballot successful northeast Syria was held successful May aft authorities forces took power of nan area during deadly clashes early this year. No day has been group yet for a ballot successful Sweida, but 2 representatives for nan predominantly Druze region were among nan names released by al-Sharaa connected Wednesday.

The Parliament will person a 30-month word and activity connected a caller elections rule to hole for nan adjacent election, according to al-Ahmad.

Syria has been without a Parliament since nan December 2024 violative by insurgents led by al-Sharaa’s now defunct Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, which ended nan Assad family’s five-decade dynasty.

Alsayed writes for nan Associated Press.