The members of Syria’s new parliament, called the People’s Assembly, were not directly elected by voters. They do not belong to political parties and have largely shied away from speaking to the public and the press. They also don’t have much authority over the government.
Nonetheless, even with all those limitations, many Syrians are pinning their hopes on this legislative body for the success of their revolution.
“These MPs are from us, so we feel we have a representative and a voice,” says Yusuf Al Qaoud, who’s from the city of Daraa. “They are our best chance to secure our rights and freedoms that were deprived from us by the former regime and that we as a people died to secure.”
Why We Wrote This
Syria’s parliament is back up and running. It has a limited amount of leverage over government decisions, but many Syrians are expecting big things from these lawmakers.
When Syria’s parliament convened in Damascus July 12 for the first time since the downfall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, it represented more than the return of a legislature. Even under the shadow of a bombing days earlier that killed 10 people, lawmakers gathered to begin rebuilding one of the institutions on which stable societies depend, especially in a post-revolutionary context.
Under the Assad regime, the parliament functioned as a ceremonial fig leaf that served political elites and passed laws that stripped ordinary Syrians of their basic rights.
The main responsibilities of the new parliament are mostly legal and institutional. Lawmakers need to overhaul hundreds of laws still on the books from the Assad era. They need to draft a new constitution. They’ll also face the expectations of an impatient public demanding better living standards and justice, after years of civil war and dictatorship.
“Parliament is the only chance for stability in Syria,” says Talal Saied, a Damascus-based political and economic analyst.
One-third of those in parliament were appointed by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The rest were chosen through an indirect selection process, with input from local electoral colleges. Members of parliament come from Syria’s different regions, minority groups, and tribes. Among them are a total of 22 women, along with former political prisoners from the Assad years, and many business owners.
Mahmoud Hassano/Reuters
In interviews with the Monitor, legislators spoke of marathon days, nights, and weekends spent preparing draft laws for review in the months before parliament was reopened. But they later withdrew their consent to be quoted for this article, pointing to new regulations that limit the freedom of lawmakers to speak with the news media.
In its first sessions, the parliament elected a constitutional lawyer as speaker – instead of an ally of the interim president – and it named as deputy speaker a Christian woman activist who was appointed to the Chamber by President Sharaa.
Some immediate priorities include revamping laws governing women’s rights, media freedoms, and business transactions. Several international companies are waiting for the assembly to ratify an investment law before launching new projects in Syria.
The transition to a new era requires a change in culture and “new ties between citizens and parliament,” says Dr. Maher Abbadin, a Damascus-based sociologist. “People are still adjusting and waiting to see if this is a real People’s Assembly, not an assembly riding on the back of the people.”
Taylor Luck
On the streets in Damascus, though, it’s easy to find Syrians who are skeptical.
“We need water, fuel, our currency is down against the dollar,” says Wassim, a Damascus taxi driver, as he sips coffee with friends. He gave only his first name so he could speak freely.
“We have zero expectations in parliament,” he says. “As long as they are appointed and not directly elected by us, nothing will happen.”
Parliament is also expected to draft a new law allowing political parties to participate in political life, which analysts say is critical to the country’s transition. But statements from government officials and lawmakers suggest that getting parties registered is not at the top of the assembly’s agenda.
“Political parties are the key way people can take part in the decision-making process,” says Mr. Saied, the analyst. “If parliament does not make this a priority and there is no political life, it will further alienate citizens.”
Perhaps the most urgent issue facing Syrian lawmakers is the public demand to see transitional justice and accountability for the crimes and human-rights violations committed during the Assad years. Parliament would need to pass a law giving a mandate to the country’s nascent National Commission for Transitional Justice and courts to put former officials on trial, provide reparations, and the return of stolen property.
Khalil Ashawi/Reuters
The commission’s remit amounts to a herculean task for the future. The Assad family was in power for more than half a century, and the number of Syrians who were killed or who disappeared, along with the myriad ways the former regime stripped citizens of land, money, and other assets, puts immense pressure on parliament to act.
Maha is an internally displaced Syrian woman living on the outskirts of Damascus, whose husband and two sons were killed by the Assad regime. She spoke to the Monitor using only her first name in order to share her frank opinion, saying, “After getting no help from the new government, parliament is my last hope.”
“We are living in a tent, our home is destroyed, our money was stolen by the regime,” says Maha, who makes ends meet by selling vegetables and relying on financial support from relatives in Europe. “Parliament must pass a law for transitional justice so we can regain our rights and livelihood. Otherwise, we Syrians cannot start to rebuild our lives.”
Post-revolution, even skeptical Syrians say that should this parliament fail, the public still has leverage.
“We have lived through statelessness, hunger, death, and oppression to gain this opportunity,” says Mr. Al Qaoud. “We will be patient.”
But still, he adds, “If the MPs do not serve us, we will throw them out and select a new one.”