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.
Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took t...
Saudi Arabia has restored its vital East-West oil pipeline to near-full capacity, but escalating Houthi attacks on energy facilities, airports and ...
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 9 October 2026 with five key developments from the CIS summit in Turkmenistan....
Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
Russia struck Ukraine overnight in one of the biggest attacks of the conflict, killing at least 19 people, Kyiv's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Around 70 missiles were fired at Ukraine during the attack, as well as drones, the Ministry said.
The Saudi-led coalition says it has carried out a series of military operations against Houthi targets in Yemen after attacks on two Saudi airports left three people dead and dozens injured.
Azerbaijan and the five Central Asian states have signed two key documents at the 8th Consultative Meeting of Heads of State in Turkmenbashi, formalising a broader framework for regional cooperation in transport, trade, energy, digitalisation and security.
It started with classrooms. Too many students, not enough teachers, deteriorating buildings and growing anxiety over what comes after high school. But within weeks, a movement that began outside French lycées had spread across the country.
Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
Saudi Arabia has restored its vital East-West oil pipeline to near-full capacity, but escalating Houthi attacks on energy facilities, airports and transport infrastructure are raising fresh concerns over the security of its oil exports.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 9 October 2026 with five key developments from the CIS summit in Turkmenistan.
Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said on Friday that three Saudi nationals were killed and several people were injured in two attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday (8 October).
Several powerful explosions reported in the south of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday may have been triggered by oil tankers hitting naval mines, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB has reported, citing unnamed military sources.
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