Syria’s interim leader appoints remaining 70 legislators to newly formed parliament

Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has named the last 70 members of the newly formed parliament, setting the stage for its inaugural session next week.

Among the appointees, fifteen are women and thirteen had been detained under Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which ended in 2024. The representation of religious and ethnic minorities within the group remains uncertain.

In October of last year, regional electoral colleges filled two‑thirds of the 210‑seat People’s Assembly, the body tasked with legislative duties during the transition.

Given that only six women and ten minority candidates secured seats through the vote, electoral officials said President Sharaa would employ his appointment power to correct the disparity.

Mohammed Taha al-Ahmed, chair of the Higher Committee for the Syrian People’s Assembly Elections, noted that the president’s picks blend “the voice of sacrifice with the voice of experience,” reflect Syria’s diverse communities, and strengthen national unity.

The appointees encompass relatives of martyrs, survivors of detention and chemical attacks from the thirteen‑year conflict, alongside academics, experts, professionals, community leaders, and national figures recognized for their experience, integrity, and public service,” he added.

Syria TV reported that actress Rouzaina Lazkani is among those appointed.

Ahmed also noted that the new members come from all fourteen provinces, including two representatives from Suweida, a region with a predominantly Druze populace.

Electoral college voting has not yet taken place in Suweida, as the southern province has remained outside government control since last July, when sectarian clashes among government troops, Sunni Bedouin tribes, and Druze militias resulted in the deaths of about 1,700 people.

“When conditions allow for elections in this favorable governorate, God willing, we will proceed with the vote there,” Ahmed said.

Voting in portions of the northern provinces of Raqqa and Hassakeh was also postponed by seven months, after government forces seized those areas from the Kurdish‑led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance at the beginning of this year.

More than twenty Kurdish parties denounced the legislators chosen by the electoral colleges in May, claiming the process exemplified “an approach of exclusion and marginalisation.”

Fourteen Syrian civil society organizations also criticized the electoral system last year, labeling it “plagued by deep structural flaws.”

They argued that the president’s direct and indirect sway over the Higher Committee and the electoral colleges made the elections largely symbolic.

They also warned that the president’s authority to appoint one‑third of parliament’s members and to replace those who lose their seats could enable him to dominate a body intended to be independent and representative of the popular will.

Last week, UN deputy special envoy Claudio Cordone informed the Security Council that Syria’s transition stands “at a critical phase, with opportunity and fragility existing side‑by‑side.”

“Syria requires the People’s Assembly to commence its work, and it demands that all Syrians—especially women and the country’s diverse groups—feel genuinely represented within it,” he said.

He added: “The magnitude of the challenges confronting this transitional parliament cannot be overstated. New laws must be debated and adopted, executive actions reviewed, diverse voices heard, and progress made on the transition.”

Cordone said the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between the government and the SDF is advancing, with four SDF brigades integrated into government forces and placed on state payroll, and 1,300 SDF‑linked detainees released.

But he cautioned that no progress has been made on implementing the confidence‑building and reintegration roadmap for Suweida.

He said the underlying issues that fueled the sectarian violence remain unresolved, including accountability mechanisms, and that secessionist calls within Suweida threaten to jeopardize Syria’s unity and territorial integrity.

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