HIBAPRESS
Syria is holding parliamentary elections today, Sunday, for the first time in many years, a step considered pivotal within the fragile political transition process in the country after more than a decade of war.
However, these elections have sparked widespread debate about the dominant role of the transitional President Ahmed Al-Share and the nature of indirect voting. The new legislative body will consist of 210 members, down from 250 members, with one-third of the seats – i.e., 70 deputies – to be appointed directly by Al-Share, raising concerns about the continuation of his influence on parliament. The other deputies will be chosen through a multi-level system that includes electoral bodies and the electoral college, which means that ordinary Syrians will not be able to vote directly, which critics see as a tool to promote favoritism and connection to personal relationships rather than open competition. The electoral process is further complicated by the postponement of voting in several areas, including the Druze stronghold in the south of As-Suwayda and parts of Al-Hasakah and Raqqa, which are controlled by Kurdish forces, amid security concerns attributed to the transitional government.
