Syria’s first election since the fall of the Assad regime concluded Sunday evening, marking a new chapter in the Middle East nation after many years of autocracy.
Thousands of electors across several provinces voted at regional electoral colleges all day to select new lawmakers. The final results are expected on Monday.
The poll will determine two-thirds of the 210 seats in the parliament to be formally inaugurated after President Ahmed al-Sharaa decides the remaining one-third.
Al-Sharaa described the process as a “historic” episode, recalling that it took only a few months to organize the election, which has allowed the people to choose their representatives.
“This moment is crucial for all Syrians. It is time to rebuild our nation together,” the president said during his visit to the National Library polling center in Damascus.
Highlighting the “many pending issues” that require attention, he noted that a functioning parliament would accelerate the process of reconstruction and development.
The former rebel commander became president after leading the major offensive that led to the capture of Damascus in December 2024, ending the 50-year rule of the Assad family.
Sunday’s election took place days after the reported assassination attempt on Bashar al-Assad at his heavily guarded villa in Russia, where he lives under political asylum.
Last week, The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed that the former dictator fell critically ill and was admitted to a hospital on the outskirts of Moscow on September 20.
Assad was reportedly discharged on September 29 after receiving treatment for alleged poisoning. Visitations were restricted to only his brother, Maher al-Assad, and former official Mansour Azzam.
Syria’s first post-Assad election signals new phase