Syria to hold first post-Assad parliamentary elections on October

 

Syria’s first parliamentary elections since the overthrow of former ruler Bashar al-Assad is officially scheduled to take place on October 5.

Local media reported, citing Syria’s Supreme Electoral Commission.

Uncertainty remains over how the vote would be conducted.

At the end of August, the electoral authority announced that elections in three provinces would be postponed indefinitely for security reasons.

It was initially unclear whether the election in early October would include the three affected provinces: Sweida, al-Hasakah and Raqqa.

The new and enlarged parliament is expected to have 210 members, one-third of whom would be appointed by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Critics complain that al-Sharaa’s influence on parliament would thus remain significant.

Under al-Assad, the parliament of the country, with a population of approximately 23 million, had only 150 seats.

Two-thirds of the seats automatically went to al-Assad’s party, the Baath Party, and its allies.

International organisations and civil society representatives would be able to observe the elections in coordination with the electoral commission.