Syrians participated in parliamentary elections on Monday, with expectations pointing towards few surprises but the possibility of paving the way for a constitutional amendment to extend President Bashar Assad’s term. This election marks the fourth in Syria since the country faced a civil war stemming from mass anti-government protests in 2011.
This year, there are 1,516 government-approved candidates vying for the 250 seats in the People’s Assembly. The exact number of eligible voters has not been disclosed, and unlike presidential elections, diaspora Syrians, who have significantly increased in number since the civil war, are not permitted to vote in parliamentary elections.
Across 15 voting districts in government-controlled areas, 8,151 polling stations were established. In some regions like the southern province of Sweida, where anti-government demonstrations have been ongoing for almost a year, calls for election boycotts were prevalent. Online videos captured protesters seizing ballot boxes from a truck in an effort to impede their delivery to polling stations.
Campaigning for candidates was generally subdued, with rhetoric focusing on broad themes like national unity and prosperity. In the previous 2020 elections, Assad’s Baath Party secured 166 seats, representing nearly two-thirds of its membership. Additionally, 17 seats were won by members of allied parties, while 67 seats went to independent candidates.
Experts such as Maroun Sfeir, a consultant on transitional electoral and political processes, noted that a significant number of candidates primarily from the Baath party could result in the ability to propose a constitutional amendment to extend Assad’s term, protect him from treason accusations, and veto legislation.
With Assad’s presidential term set to conclude in 2028 due to term limits, the upcoming parliament is widely anticipated to pursue passing a constitutional amendment to elongate his presidency.
