Syria's Transition: First Elections Since Assad's Fall Raise Concerns Over Representation

Tue Oct 21 2025 23:25:15 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Syria holds its first parliamentary elections amid widespread skepticism regarding inclusivity and security, as key provinces are excluded from the voting process.

Syria is set to conduct its first parliamentary elections since the removal of Bashar al-Assad, overseen by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The process has faced criticism due to the lack of direct voting in the People's Assembly and the postponement of elections in three provinces amidst ongoing sectarian tensions. With over 1,500 candidates and no quota for female or minority representation, concerns regarding the elections' democratic integrity have been voiced by civil society groups.

Syria will hold its first parliamentary elections on Sunday since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, amid concerns over inclusivity and successive delays.

There will be no direct vote for the People's Assembly, which will be responsible for legislation during a transitional period. Instead, electoral colleges will select representatives for two-thirds of the 210 seats. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa will appoint the rest.

Long-time former President Assad was ousted by Sharaa's forces 10 months ago after a 13-year civil war.

Authorities say they have postponed the polls for security reasons in two Kurdish-controlled provinces and a third that experienced deadly fighting between government forces and Druze militias.

The clashes, in July, marked the latest outbreak of sectarian violence in Syria since Assad's overthrow. In a speech at the UN General Assembly last week - the first by a Syrian president in 60 years - Sharaa promised to bring to justice everyone responsible for the bloodshed and those who committed atrocities under Assad.

He also pledged that Syria was now rebuilding itself through establishing a new state, building institutions and laws that guarantee the rights of all without exception.

Sunday's polls are being overseen by the Higher Committee for the Syrian People's Assembly Elections, whose 11 members were chosen by the president in June.

The number of seats allocated in each of 60 districts is based on census data collected in 2010 - the year before the country descended into a civil war that killed more than 600,000 people and displaced another 12 million.

The postponement of the elections in Raqqa, Hassakeh, and Suweida means the electoral colleges in only 50 out of 60 districts will be selecting representatives for about 120 seats on Sunday.

There will be more than 1,500 candidates, who must also be electoral college members. Supporters of the former regime or terrorist organisations were barred from membership, as were advocates of secession, division or seeking foreign intervention.

At least 20% of the electoral college members were required to be women. However, there were no minimum quotas for female lawmakers or for those from the country's many ethnic and religious minorities.

Sharaa has defended the way the elections are being held. He stated that due to the transitional period, popular elections are difficult owing to document loss and the millions of refugees outside Syria without documentation.

The Higher Committee indicated that the elections could not proceed in Raqqa, Hassakeh, and Suweida due to the security and political situation. The 20 seats allocated to them will remain vacant until the polls can adequately be conducted.

Thouraya Mustafa of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party criticized the electoral process, stating it reflects the same exclusionary tactics of past authoritarian regimes, depriving the Syrian populace of their rights.

As the electoral process unfolds, skepticism remains among citizens regarding its actual capacity to represent the people's will, amplified by recent sectarian violence and political instability.