Members of local committees in Syria have selected representatives to a transitional parliament following the fall of Bashar Assad’s government. The first parliamentary elections since the regime’s collapse concluded on Sunday, with between 7,000 and 8,000 people electing 140 members of parliament. The remaining 70 seats in the 210-member body will be filled by the interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, with the final list of names to be announced on Monday.
According to Syrian officials, over 1,500 candidates, including more than 200 women, ran for the assembly, which will serve a renewable 30-month mandate. However, the Kurdish-held northeast and Southern Syria’s Druze-majority Sweida province were excluded from the process as they remain outside Damascus’ control. The 32 seats from these regions will remain empty.
Under a temporary constitution announced in March, the incoming parliament will exercise legislative functions until a permanent constitution is adopted and new elections are held. Al-Sharaa previously stated that direct elections were currently unfeasible due to the displacement of millions of Syrians during the war. In May, President Donald Trump met with al-Sharaa and announced the lifting of most sanctions previously imposed during Assad’s rule, which al-Sharaa described as a historic and courageous decision that could alleviate suffering and lay the foundations for regional stability.