Syrians vote in first post-Assad parliamentary elections

Syria is holding parliamentary elections for the first time since the ousting of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad — a milestone in the country’s fragile political transition after nearly 14 years of conflict.

On Sunday, members of Syria’s electoral colleges cast their votes to select new lawmakers for the revamped 210-seat People’s Assembly. However, the process has drawn sharp criticism from observers, who argue it lacks democratic legitimacy. A third of the seats are appointed directly by interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, while the remaining members are chosen indirectly by electoral colleges rather than through a popular vote.

Critics say the system entrenches the power of Syria’s new leadership instead of opening the door to real democratic reform. In a joint statement last month, over a dozen non-governmental organisations warned that al-Sharaa “can effectively shape a parliamentary majority composed of individuals he selected or ensured loyalty from,” thereby “undermining the principle of pluralism essential to any genuine democratic process.”

“You can call the process what you like, but not elections,” said Bassam Alahmad, executive director of France-based Syrians for Truth and Justice, one of the signatories of the statement, in remarks to AFP.

Meanwhile, voting has been indefinitely suspended in the restive Druze-majority province of Suwayda and in Kurdish-controlled areas of the northeast, due to ongoing tensions between local authorities and the central government in Damascus.

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