Syria Concludes First Election Since Fall of Assad Regime

Ballot boxes have closed across Syria after counting extended late into Sunday evening, marking the country’s first parliamentary elections since the fall of the Assad regime, CNN reported.

Election spokesman Nawar Najmeh told Syrian state TV al-Ikhbariya that all polling centers had completed voting. Final results are expected on Monday.

Early counts from Idlib, Deir Ezzor, and the Damascus countryside provinces indicated no female candidates winning seats so far, according to CNN. As a result, the 20% quota for women is expected to be fulfilled through one-third of seats appointed directly by Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

Overseeing the voting process at the National Library polling center in Damascus, al-Sharaa described the election as “a historic moment for Syrians,” highlighting that the country had organized an electoral process in a matter of months “suited to the realities of this phase.”

“This moment is crucial for all Syrians. It is time to rebuild our nation together,” al-Sharaa said.

Najmeh told state television that the vote was conducted under a new temporary electoral framework established by a decree earlier this year by al-Sharaa. CNN reported that the decree created a 10-member national election committee and set new rules for the transitional period.

The election will fill 210 parliamentary seats under a mixed system: two-thirds of lawmakers will be elected by local bodies, while one-third will be appointed directly by the president. Seats are distributed according to population size and social representation.

One of the parliament's key tasks will be drafting a new constitution for Syria and preparing for direct public elections in the next term.

CNN reported that 1,578 candidates were approved to run in the campaign, including 14% women. Authorities said the final list of eligible voters excluded individuals linked to the former regime.

Not all provinces are participating. CNN noted that voting in most parts of Raqqa and Hasakah has been postponed due to “security and logistical challenges,” while all constituencies in Suwayda province will remain vacant until “appropriate conditions” are met.

Raqqa and Hasakah are under the control of Kurdish-led YPG forces, while Suwayda is dominated by Druze factions loyal to cleric Hikmat al-Hijri. All three areas remain outside the central government’s control.

The elections come amid tensions near Aleppo between transitional government forces and members of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which operate in eastern Syria and have fought ISIS for ten years. The SDF, composed of Kurds, Arabs, and Christians, are supposed to integrate into the Damascus-backed new Syrian army; however, this integration has not occurred, preventing elections in SDF-held areas.

Elections are also not being held in the Turkish-occupied area of Tel Abyad, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Meanwhile, Ahmad al-Sharaa became the first Syrian leader in nearly 60 years to address the UN General Assembly. In his speech, he called for the complete lifting of sanctions on Syria and promised to bring to justice all responsible for the bloodshed, including those who committed atrocities under the Assad regime.

Source: ANI