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Syria’s Transitional People’s Assembly Holds Inaugural Session

The newly seated body is charged with drafting a constitution that would pave the way for general elections by 2029.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa walks through the chamber after addressing the inaugural session of Syria's newly formed People's Assembly, the first since the fall of President Bashar Assad's government, in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, July 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa addresses the inaugural session of Syria's newly formed People's Assembly, the first since the fall of President Bashar Assad's government, in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, July 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa addresses the inaugural session of Syria's newly formed People's Assembly, the first since the fall of President Bashar Assad's government, in Damascus, Syria, Sunday, July 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Members of Syria's newly formed People's Assembly attend the body's inaugural session, the first parliament session since the end of the rule of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, July 12, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

Overview

  • The transitional People’s Assembly met for its first session on Sunday, July 12, 2026, with members sworn in and set to elect presiding officers and form a constitution-drafting committee.
  • Two-thirds of members were chosen by local committees appointed through an electoral commission and one-third were named by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a selection method that critics say bypasses direct popular votes.
  • The session took place under tight security after several recent bombings in Damascus, and some seats remain vacant or disputed, including three positions for the Druze-majority Sweida province.
  • Under a temporary constitutional declaration, the assembly has a renewable 30-month mandate to draft a new constitution, approve an election law and handle the budget and legislation until a permanent order is set.
  • Civil society groups and analysts warn the selection process concentrates power in the presidency, yields low female representation of roughly 10 percent and could undercut the body’s perceived legitimacy and the pace of Syria’s political normalisation.