Ahmad Al-Sharaa Swears In Syria’s New Parliament Inaugural Session In Damascus

Syria’s newly elected parliament held its first session in Damascus on Sunday since the ouster of former President Bashar Assad, aiming to restart the legislative process after years of conflict and autocratic rule.

The launch came as Syria moved ahead with drafting new laws while recovering from decades of brutal rule under the Assad family and a deadly civil war that killed about half a million people, according to the Associated Press reporting carried by Goshen News.

Akhbar as-Saudiyya

In the inaugural session, President Ahmad al-Shara swore in members and the MPs elected Abdul Hamid Al Awak, a lawyer, as Parliamentary Speaker after the planned Monday opening was postponed.

Syria’s transition plan described the constitutional declaration as part of a five-year political transition, with the parliament having limited authority mainly to approve legislation while foreign policy, the military, cabinet formation and appointments of senior officials remained under the purview of the President.

The National also reported that the first session followed two bomb blasts in Damascus during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the capital on Tuesday, with one MP saying deputies were taken from hotels to the parliament hall amid tight security measures and were kept in the dark about the timing of the session.

While the parliament’s inaugural session proceeded with oath-taking and leadership elections, Al-Jazeera Net framed the atmosphere as a break from the Assad era, writing that Syrians interpreted the first session with “No clapping and no chants.”

Al-Jazeera Net quoted Syrian journalist Asia Hisham saying: "Principally, the People's Council without applause, without flattery, without vulgarity and wasting time and epic poetry—a promising new era; let us all contribute to its success."

Al Jazeera

The National reported that President Ahmad Al Shara’s address to parliament, broadcast on state media, was met with neither chants nor a standing ovation from the MPs, which had been the norm during the Assad era.

The National also said the constitutional declaration gives the parliament limited authority, mainly the power to approve legislation, while the President retains control over foreign policy, the military, cabinet formation and appointments of senior officials.

In the same coverage, Al-Jazeera Net described how activists and bloggers focused on the absence of prolonged applause, chants, and speeches praising the president, contrasting the “culture of loyalty” with what they described as a “culture of participation and exchange of views.”

Beyond the symbolism of the first session, the sources tied the parliament’s work to concrete deadlines, with The National saying the transition plan calls for the parliament to approve a new constitution and a new electoral law by the end of 2028 and for Mr Al Shara to promise popular elections by 2029.

“At a political milestone considered the first of its kind since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, the new Syrian People's Assembly held its inaugural session today, Sunday, announcing the launch of the first legislative term in the new Syria, amid wide anticipation for the council's role in managing the transitional period and shaping the outlines of the upcoming political system”

Al-Jazeera Net

The National also reported that passing a draft transitional justice law, prepared by a special commission appointed by Mr Al Shara, would be a priority, while trials had begun for members of the former regime accused of committing or supporting killings and other crimes mostly during the 2011 to 2024 civil war.

In a separate operational detail, The National said that on Sunday Syria’s Emergency and Disasters Ministry reported a ferry operating on the Euphrates River in eastern Syria collided overnight with a makeshift bridge, causing three children to drown and prompting rescue teams to look for an unknown number of missing people on board.

SFGATE, citing an Associated Press dateline, reported that two-thirds of the 210-member People’s Assembly were elected through electoral colleges while one-third were appointed directly by the interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and that the new parliament would serve a 30-month term.

SFGATE also quoted al-Sharaa saying, "After liberating our homeland and regaining our freedom, we are all moving toward consolidating the state," as the legislators elected Abdul Hamid al-Awak as speaker.