The Supreme Commission for People’s Assembly Elections has issued a detailed statement specifying the conditions for membership in electoral bodies, as Syria prepares for its first parliamentary elections since the fall of the Assad regime.
Elections Scheduled for Mid-September
Commission member Ahmad al-Ahmad told the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that the elections to choose members of the People’s Assembly are expected to take place between September 15 and 20.
According to al-Ahmad, the new parliament will consist of 210 members, distributed among the provinces based on population. Of these, 70 members will be appointed by Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa, while the remaining 140 will be elected by electoral bodies formed by subcommittees selected by the Supreme Commission, in line with the decree issued by al-Sharaa in June establishing the body.
On Saturday, President Sharaa received the final draft of the temporary electoral law. Al-Ahmad explained that once the decree on the electoral system is signed, the Commission will need one week to appoint the subcommittees, which will then have 15 days to select the electoral bodies. Afterward, the candidacy process will open, giving candidates one week to prepare their platforms before debates are held with members of the committees and electoral bodies.
Eligibility Criteria for Electoral Bodies
In its statement, the Commission stressed that members of the electoral bodies must hold Syrian nationality acquired before May 1, 2025, including citizens covered by Decree No. 49 of 2011. They must be registered in their district’s civil registry or have resided there for at least five consecutive years before 2011, be legally competent, and at least 25 years old.
Members must also have good conduct and no convictions for serious crimes or offenses of moral dishonor—except in cases with political or security contexts—and must not have run for presidential elections after 2011.
Exclusions and Restrictions
The Commission barred individuals who served as MPs or ran for parliament after 2011, unless they had defected. It also excluded supporters of the former Assad regime, members of terrorist organizations, advocates of secession or foreign intervention, and barred current members of the armed forces and security services, as well as members of the Supreme Commission and its subcommittees, ministers, governors, and their deputies or assistants.
Educational Requirements
For the “competencies” category, members are required to hold a recognized university degree or its equivalent, while members of the “notables” category must at least possess a secondary school certificate.
Preparations Underway
The Commission is also setting up appeals committees in the provinces and has asked the Bar Association to assign a lawyer to each electoral district as a legal observer. Officials say these steps mark a new phase in building a transparent electoral framework.
