Syria delays parliamentary vote in Sweida

A drone view shows the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, in Syria, 25 July, 2025.
Reuters

Syria will hold its first parliamentary elections under the new Islamist administration next month, but several provinces will be excluded due to ongoing security concerns.

The electoral commission announced that the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for mid-September, will not be held in Sweida, Hasaka, and Raqqa provinces.

Sweida, a Druze-majority region, has recently witnessed deadly clashes between Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes, and government forces. Israel intervened with airstrikes in July, claiming to prevent mass killings of Druze civilians.

The Higher Committee for People's Assembly Elections stated that voting in these areas would be delayed until conditions are secure, leaving their allocated seats vacant until further notice.

Officials emphasized that elections can only take place in regions fully controlled by the government. The vote, set for 15–20 September, will determine the makeup of the 210-member People’s Assembly.

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