On July 15, national elections for the Syrian parliament were held in most of the areas under the control of the Assad regime. These are the fourth elections since the outbreak of the civil war in Syria.
The 250-member Syrian parliament has traditionally been controlled by the Ba’ath party—the party of President Assad. This control is not likely to be undermined, in addition to the fact that the parliament in practice has no real power vis-à-vis the presidency.
In the current elections, about 1,500 candidates competed for the 250 seats in the Syrian parliament. The ruling Ba’ath party is expected to take about 70% of the seats (along with its allies, members of the “Progressive National Front” parties). The rest of the seats are expected to be taken by independent candidates.
The process of selecting the candidates is subject to strict procedures by the Central Election Commission, which checks and approves (in cooperation with the Syrian intelligence) the submission of the candidacy. The committee makes sure to choose candidates who identify with the regime’s values and ensures that they are not members of the opposition, which ensures the regime’s continued control of the parliament.
Holding parliamentary elections once every four years allows the regime to demonstrate its governance and presence in the territories it controls. In fact, it is a symbolic act designed to create the appearance of legitimacy for Assad’s regime, even though it is not a real democratic election. It should be noted that the presidential elections, which occur once every seven years, were last held in 2021, with President Assad winning 95% of the votes.
Despite the existence of the elections, protests were held on the day of voting. These protests, led by the Druze community in As-Suwayda in southern Syria, have been ongoing for nearly a year against the Assad regime. Protestors broke into dozens of polling stations in different localities, expelled the members of the polling committees, scattered the ballots, or set them on fire. These protests have been taking place against the backdrop of the worsening humanitarian situation in Syria and have been highlighting the regime’s inadequate response to the citizens’ difficulties amid the crisis.
On July 15, national elections for the Syrian parliament were held in most of the areas under the control of the Assad regime. These are the fourth elections since the outbreak of the civil war in Syria.
The 250-member Syrian parliament has traditionally been controlled by the Ba’ath party—the party of President Assad. This control is not likely to be undermined, in addition to the fact that the parliament in practice has no real power vis-à-vis the presidency.
In the current elections, about 1,500 candidates competed for the 250 seats in the Syrian parliament. The ruling Ba’ath party is expected to take about 70% of the seats (along with its allies, members of the “Progressive National Front” parties). The rest of the seats are expected to be taken by independent candidates.
The process of selecting the candidates is subject to strict procedures by the Central Election Commission, which checks and approves (in cooperation with the Syrian intelligence) the submission of the candidacy. The committee makes sure to choose candidates who identify with the regime’s values and ensures that they are not members of the opposition, which ensures the regime’s continued control of the parliament.
Holding parliamentary elections once every four years allows the regime to demonstrate its governance and presence in the territories it controls. In fact, it is a symbolic act designed to create the appearance of legitimacy for Assad’s regime, even though it is not a real democratic election. It should be noted that the presidential elections, which occur once every seven years, were last held in 2021, with President Assad winning 95% of the votes.
Despite the existence of the elections, protests were held on the day of voting. These protests, led by the Druze community in As-Suwayda in southern Syria, have been ongoing for nearly a year against the Assad regime. Protestors broke into dozens of polling stations in different localities, expelled the members of the polling committees, scattered the ballots, or set them on fire. These protests have been taking place against the backdrop of the worsening humanitarian situation in Syria and have been highlighting the regime’s inadequate response to the citizens’ difficulties amid the crisis.