The National Unity list (of the ruling coalition) was announced in Damascus on Saturday, as well as in a number of Syrian provinces.
The secretary of the Damascus branch of the Syrian Arab Socialist Baath Party, Hussam al-Samman, told Damas Post that the list included 70 candidates, 42 of whom held a university diploma or higher. He said that this round’s list was distinguished by many new and young faces, with only 12 older candidates. The oldest age for a candidate was 63, and just four candidates were over 60 years old. In previous rounds, there had been members who were aged above 75 years.
According to the branch secretary, the list included seven candidates from families of martyrs and wounded soldiers and civilians. The list also represented candidates from most unions and syndicates, including teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, workers, athletes, students and youth.
The list did lack sufficient representation of women, with only 12 female candidates out of 70. This has become clear on most of the lists announced so far, with women’s representation small in most cases.
The National Unity list was issued in most Syrian provinces, with social media sites publishing the news. The lists received a wave of criticisms, including the number of seats for the Baath Party, which received the overwhelming majority, as well as the near-total lack of representation of women.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
