The latest results from Syria’s parliamentary elections revealed that President Bashar Assad’s Baath Party has secured a majority of seats, as was anticipated. The voting for 250 parliamentary seats took place in government-controlled areas, with 8,151 centers conducting the election on Monday. However, some irregularities led to a redo of voting in certain districts like Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, and Daraa due to instances such as double voting by individuals. Some officials from the electoral centers are facing allegations of electoral misconduct and have been referred to the judiciary.
The election featured 1,516 candidates vying for the 250 seats. Nonetheless, only a limited number of seats, about 65, were considered competitive, as the Baath Party and its affiliated groups proposed a list of 185 candidates. Traditionally, candidates who pass through the Baath Party primaries and land on the final list tend to secure seats. The outcome of Thursday’s announcement indicated that all 185 candidates from the Baath Party and its allies clinched seats, surpassing the coalition’s 177 seats won in 2020.
Turnout for the election was reported at 38% of the 19.3 million eligible voters. Unlike presidential elections, Syrians residing outside the country do not have the right to vote in parliamentary elections. Jihad Murad, the head of the Supreme Judicial Committee for Elections, declared that the outcomes were a reflection of broad representation from various Syrian groups and sectors. This election marks the fourth since the commencement of the country’s civil war in March 2011.
As Assad is bound by term limits that would conclude his presidency by 2028, it is widely speculated that the upcoming parliament will endeavor to pass a constitutional amendment to extend his term. A three-quarters majority, equivalent to 188 votes, is required to pass an amendment, slightly exceeding the number of seats held by the Baath Party and its allies. Nonetheless, supposedly independent candidates are generally perceived to be aligned with the government.