Damascus, 06 July (H.S.):

The first session of Syria's interim parliament (People's Assembly), which was scheduled to begin on Monday, has been postponed. The interim legislature was formed after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's decades-long rule. Syria is currently being governed by an interim administration led by former rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who assumed power after overthrowing Assad's five-decade-old government in December 2024.

According to Al Arabiya, Syria's new parliament consists of 210 seats. Of these, 140 members were chosen through indirect elections conducted by interim electoral bodies, while the remaining 70 members were directly appointed by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Among the appointed members are 15 women, taking the total number of female lawmakers in the assembly to 21. The new parliament has also sought to ensure representation for the country's diverse communities, including 12 seats allocated to members of the Kurdish community.

The inaugural session of the parliament had been scheduled for Monday, July 6, 2026. However, election officials said the session has been postponed due to security arrangements and other logistical reasons. A new date will be announced later.

Three parliamentary seats remain vacant because representatives from the southern Druze-majority province of Suwayda have not yet been elected amid continuing security tensions in the region. The interim parliament has been assigned a term of 30 months.

The principal responsibilities of the interim parliament include drafting a new electoral law, approving the national budget, and laying the groundwork for Syria's next democratic elections. It will exercise legislative authority until a permanent constitution is adopted and comes into force.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar