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People’s Assembly begins work
In Damascus on Sunday, July 12, President Ahmad al-Sharaa attended the inaugural session of Syria’s newly formed People’s Assembly and affirmed that its launch marks “an important national milestone and a new step toward boosting consultation and responsibility while building state institutions founded on dialogue, competence, and the rule of law.”
“Syria’s president has called on lawmakers to put “national interest above all” as the newly appointed transitional parliament convenes for its inaugural session”
SANA said the session included the presence of Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections Chairman Mohammad al-Ahmad, the Assembly’s 206 members, and a number of ministers, and that members took the constitutional oath before electing Abdul Hamid al-Awak as Speaker, Mustafa Moussa as First Deputy Speaker, Madonna Bishara as Second Deputy Speaker, and Moayad Habib as Secretary of the Assembly.
The Syrian Observer described the same swearing-in as the first legislative milestone since the fall of the former regime, with Judge Mohammad Taha al-Ahmad calling it a defining historical moment achieved through “the bravery of our heroes and the resilience of mothers.”
AP reported that Syria’s newly elected parliament held its first session since the ouster of former President Bashar Assad, with al-Sharaa hoping to restart the legislative process after years of conflict and autocratic rule.
AP also said the People’s Assembly would serve a 30-month term, with two-thirds of the 210-member body elected through electoral colleges and one-third appointed directly by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Sharaa urges responsibility
In Damascus, President Sharaa called on lawmakers to prioritize national interest and responsibility as the People’s Assembly convened for its inaugural session, and Al Jazeera quoted him urging lawmakers to make the assembly “a model of responsibility and competence, and to help foster a culture of dialogue, the rule of law and respect for institutions.”
Al Jazeera said the parliament’s main role is to draft a new constitution and lay the foundations for democracy after decades of oppressive rule under the al-Assad family that culminated in a 14-year civil war that killed more than half a million people.
Claudio Cordone, the deputy United Nations special envoy for Syria, told Al Jazeera that the parliament’s first session was “a key milestone in the country’s political transition,” adding that the international community “will follow its work closely and stand ready to support” it.
The New Arab said the proceedings were opened by Mohammed Taha al-Ahmad, head of the Supreme Committee for People’s Assembly Elections, and that President Ahmed al-Sharaa was present at the inauguration after leading the rebel offensive that ousted Assad in December 2024.
The New Arab also reported that Al-Ahmad described the session as “historic,” saying it represented “the blood of the martyrs and a defining moment in history in which we declare to the world that Syria has shaken off the dust of war.”
Transition powers and vacancies
The New Arab said the assembly, under the Constitutional Declaration outlining Syria’s five-year transitional period, will wield broad legislative and oversight powers including the authority to propose, pass, amend, and repeal legislation, approve the state budget, ratify international treaties, and grant general amnesties.
It also said the assembly will hold the government to account through questioning ministers, convening parliamentary hearings, and overseeing the performance of the executive branch, while analysts’ challenge is establishing independence from the president and cabinet and avoiding a return to the dynamic under the Assad regime.
Saudi Gazette reported that 206 lawmakers attended the opening session of the 210-seat parliament, with three representatives from the southern province of Suwayda absent, and said the vacant seats remain unfilled due to security challenges and restrictions linked to the militia of Hikmat al-Hijri.
The Saudi Gazette added that Sharaa’s address urged members to make the legislature “a model of responsibility and competence” by promoting dialogue, the rule of law, and respect for state institutions.
SANA said the inaugural session took place in the presence of President al-Sharaa and included the election of the assembly’s leadership, while AP said the new parliament indicates Syria is moving ahead with drafting new laws as it recovers from decades of brutal rule under the Assad family and a deadly civil war that killed about half a million people.
