Syria on Saturday began accepting candidacy applications for parliamentary elections set for October 5, the first such vote since the fall of Bashar al Assad’s regime in late 2024.
State broadcaster Alikhbaria reported that applications for the People’s Assembly opened across multiple provinces, with the Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections designating Saturday and Sunday for candidates to submit their paperwork.
Committees will continue reviewing applications in line with legal requirements before publishing final candidate lists in the coming weeks, the channel said.
New electoral framework
President Ahmed al Sharaa approved the temporary electoral law in late August, after receiving the draft in July.
The decree outlines eligibility rules, voting procedures, and the formation of electoral bodies that will oversee the process.
Under the system, each district will establish an electoral body proportional to its allocated seats.
Candidates must be drawn from within these bodies, which then elect representatives to the 210-seat Assembly.
One-third of the seats will be filled through presidential appointments, while two-thirds will be chosen through this indirect mechanism.
Officials emphasised that the arrangement is provisional, reflecting the country’s transitional circumstances.
A political turning point
The elections mark a milestone in Syria’s post-Assad transition.
Assad, who ruled for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December 2024, bringing an end to decades of Baath Party dominance that began in 1963.
Sharaa’s transitional government, formed in January, has since launched political and economic reforms while seeking to build regional and international partnerships.
Authorities say the October vote will test the country’s new governance framework and provide a step towards stabilising a nation fractured by years of war and authoritarian rule.
