Syria to hold first post-Assad elections amid concerns over presidential control

DAMASCUS, Syria (MNTV) — Syria will hold its first parliamentary elections since the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad between September 15 and 20, but the process is drawing criticism over interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s significant role in selecting members of the new legislature.

According to the country’s newly established electoral authority, the elections will be based on a hybrid model of “selection and election”, reported Middle East Eye.

Nawar Najma, spokesperson for the Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Election, said that one-third of the seats in the 250-member assembly will be directly appointed by the president.

The remaining two-thirds will be filled through an indirect electoral system involving provincial-level electoral bodies.

These electoral bodies—made up of around 50 individuals each—will vote to elect parliamentarians. However, the members of these bodies will themselves be chosen by subcommittees appointed by Najma’s department, following what he described as “extensive consultations.”

Najma emphasized that all participants must meet one key requirement: they must not support the former Assad regime “in word or deed.”

The new People’s Assembly will serve a 36-month renewable term, exercising legislative powers until a permanent constitution is adopted and fresh elections are held. The framework is outlined in the constitutional declaration adopted in March this year.

While authorities have described the electoral system as a transitional measure, rights advocates and pro-democracy groups warn that it grants excessive authority to the interim president and undermines the democratic process.

“It is deeply concerning that a third of the seats will be appointed directly by the interim president, while the rest will be selected by electoral colleges whose formation is tightly controlled,” said Razan Rashidi, Executive Director of The Syria Campaign, speaking to Middle East Eye.

Critics argue that the structure echoes the autocratic nature of Assad’s rule, under which the People’s Assembly served largely as a ceremonial body rubber-stamping executive decisions.

Elections during Assad’s tenure were widely condemned by international observers and human rights groups as fraudulent, with reported vote shares exceeding 95% in his favor.

With Syria entering a new political chapter, observers say the upcoming vote will be a crucial test of whether the country is genuinely moving toward democratic governance or entrenching a new form of centralized control under a different name.