(Syria, 5th) Syria is taking a key step toward a “post-Assad era.” The electors for the first-ever “post-Assad” parliament’s indirect vote will convene this Sunday (October 5) to select about two-thirds of the seats in the new parliament.
According to Reuters, this election is not only an important test of the inclusiveness of the new authorities, but also a crucial element in Syria’s political reconstruction after 14 years of war and sectarian conflict.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who came to power last December after rebel forces overthrew the Assad regime, is now working to consolidate power in a long-divided nation where minority groups remain deeply distrustful. To that end, the authorities have adopted an indirect electoral system in which regional electoral colleges vote to choose the new MPs.
Official arrangements show that about 6,000 electors will cast their ballots in local electoral colleges starting at around 9 a.m. local time on Sunday (2 p.m. Singapore time). Voting will end at about 5 p.m. and the results are expected to be announced that same evening.
This vote will determine about two-thirds of the 210 parliamentary seats; the remaining one-third will be directly appointed by Sharaa, and the legislative body can only be formally constituted after his appointments are completed.
Authorities explained that the use of indirect rather than popular elections is mainly due to the lack of reliable population data and massive displacement caused by the war. For security and political reasons, voting has also been postponed in three provinces controlled by minority groups, resulting in a temporary vacancy for 19 parliamentary seats.
Critics argue that this partial and indirect voting arrangement does not reflect broad representation and is easily manipulated by the central authorities.
Analysts noted that with Sharaa directly appointing around 70 lawmakers, these personnel decisions will largely determine the effectiveness and legitimacy of the new parliament: if more women or minority representatives are appointed, parliament may become more diverse; but if more loyalists are chosen, parliament may turn into a policy tool lacking effective checks and balances.
According to Reuters, this election is not only an important test of the inclusiveness of the new authorities, but also a crucial element in Syria’s political reconstruction after 14 years of war and sectarian conflict.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who came to power last December after rebel forces overthrew the Assad regime, is now working to consolidate power in a long-divided nation where minority groups remain deeply distrustful. To that end, the authorities have adopted an indirect electoral system in which regional electoral colleges vote to choose the new MPs.
Official arrangements show that about 6,000 electors will cast their ballots in local electoral colleges starting at around 9 a.m. local time on Sunday (2 p.m. Singapore time). Voting will end at about 5 p.m. and the results are expected to be announced that same evening.
This vote will determine about two-thirds of the 210 parliamentary seats; the remaining one-third will be directly appointed by Sharaa, and the legislative body can only be formally constituted after his appointments are completed.
Authorities explained that the use of indirect rather than popular elections is mainly due to the lack of reliable population data and massive displacement caused by the war. For security and political reasons, voting has also been postponed in three provinces controlled by minority groups, resulting in a temporary vacancy for 19 parliamentary seats.
Critics argue that this partial and indirect voting arrangement does not reflect broad representation and is easily manipulated by the central authorities.
Analysts noted that with Sharaa directly appointing around 70 lawmakers, these personnel decisions will largely determine the effectiveness and legitimacy of the new parliament: if more women or minority representatives are appointed, parliament may become more diverse; but if more loyalists are chosen, parliament may turn into a policy tool lacking effective checks and balances.