Syria’s long and harrowing chapter of war, repression, and displacement may finally be giving way to a new era of cautious optimism. For the first time since the fall of Bashar Assad in December 2024, Syrians went to the polls this week to elect a new People’s Assembly under the transitional leadership of President Ahmad Al-Sharaa. While far from perfect, these legislative elections represent a tangible move toward reconciliation, institutional renewal, and national healing – signaling that, after years of devastation, Syria may be taking its first measured steps toward inclusive governance and political stability.

The elections were conducted under a hybrid system designed to balance democratic participation with transitional oversight. Out of 210 total seats in the new People’s Assembly, 140 were filled through electoral colleges, while the remaining 70 were appointed directly by the president. Critics have called this structure only a partial form of democracy – and rightly so – but within Syria’s post-conflict reality, it is a pragmatic beginning. The transitional government has emphasized that this arrangement is temporary, intended to ensure stability and continuity while the nation rebuilds its electoral institutions, infrastructure, and voter registration systems shattered by more than a decade of war.

The symbolism of these elections far outweighs their procedural shortcomings. For nearly 14 years, Syria’s political life was dominated by a single family and an apparatus of fear that crushed dissent and monopolized power. The fall of Assad’s regime, while celebrated by many, left a vacuum that risked plunging the country into further chaos. By holding elections, even imperfect ones, the transitional leadership has sent a powerful signal: Syria’s future will no longer be written by decree or dictated by a single man’s will.

Political observers have noted that the new parliament, while predominantly Sunni Muslim and male, reflects at least an attempt to move beyond rigid sectarian lines. Out of the 210 seats, only a handful were secured by women and minorities – a fact acknowledged even by the electoral commission as a serious limitation. Women cur-rently occupy less than 10% of........

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