The transitional president of Syria, Ahmed al Shara, has culminated this Wednesday the configuration of the first Parliament to emerge after the fall of Bashar al Assad's regime in December 2024, by closing the list of members he is responsible for directly appointing to the Chamber, whose inaugural session is scheduled for July 6.
With this announcement, Al Shara has made public the names of the last 70 deputies, who represent one-third of the hemicycle, after the other 140 seats were filled last year through a system of electoral colleges. This mechanism has been surrounded by criticism due to the absence of direct suffrage and the wide margin of maneuver reserved for the Presidency.
The president of the High Committee for Popular Assembly Elections, Mohamad Taha al Ahmad, has explained that the new Chamber aims to "strengthen national representation and enrich parliamentary work through a combination of diverse experience and professional expertise."
In this regard, he has highlighted that the individuals selected by Al Shara "reflect the recognition of the sacrifices made by Syrians," as it "integrates relatives of martyrs, survivors of detention periods, survivors of chemical attacks, academics, experts, professionals, and community leaders," according to information from the Syrian state news agency, SANA.
Al Ahmad has also emphasized that the list "strengthens the representation of women in the legislature," as 15 of the 70 designated by Al Shara, or 21.4%, are women. He has also valued that representatives from all provinces of the country are included, something that, in Damascus's view, increases the inclusive nature of the body.
Over the past few months, the establishment of this new Parliament has been the focus of the political reform process in Syria, accompanied by Al Shara's promises to expand inclusivity, although opposition organizations and sectors have questioned the dominant role of the president, who had already appointed the committee responsible for forming the electoral colleges tasked with choosing the other 140 deputies.
Al Shara assumed the head of state after Al Assad's flight to Russia in December 2024, precipitated by an offensive by jihadists and rebels led by Hatay Tahrir al Sham (HTS), a group headed by the current president. Since then, he has promoted an approach to the West, which has resulted in his removal from jihadist lists and the lifting of certain sanctions against Damascus.