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Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday issued a decree establishing a temporary electoral system for the country's parliament, marking a significant step in Syria's political transition following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government.
The decree, numbered 143 of 2025, outlines the framework for electing members to the People's Assembly, Syria's parliament, according to the state news agency SANA. Under the new system, the assembly will comprise 210 members, with two-thirds elected through constituency-based voting and one-third appointed directly by the president.
"The constituencies have been divided into 62 districts where the nomination and election process will take place," said Mohammad al-Ahmad, head of the Supreme Committee for the People's Assembly Elections, during a Wednesday announcement.
The electoral framework establishes demographic and administrative criteria for forming electoral bodies across Syria's governorates. The decree also creates multiple oversight committees designed to ensure what officials describe as transparency and independence in the electoral process.
Al-Ahmad indicated that practical implementation would begin immediately, stating the committee will "begin practical procedures tomorrow (Thursday) and will start receiving proposals for the membership of electoral bodies in the newly divided districts, leading up to the election, vote counting, and announcement of results."
The electoral preparations come as Syria undergoes its most dramatic political transformation in decades. Al-Sharaa received the final draft of the temporary electoral system in late July, several months after assuming leadership of the transitional administration.
The planned elections represent Syria's first parliamentary voting under the new political order, though no timeline for the actual voting has been announced.
The current developments stem from the dramatic collapse of the Assad government in December 2024, when Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia after nearly 25 years in power. His departure ended the Ba'ath Party's six-decade rule, which had controlled Syria since 1963. Al-Sharaa's transitional administration was subsequently established in January 2025.
The new electoral system includes provisions for appeals processes and establishes higher, subsidiary, and legal committees to oversee various aspects of the voting process. Officials emphasized that these bodies would operate with "full neutrality" in executing their responsibilities.
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