In mid-September, Syrians are set to elect their new parliament for the first time since the fall of the authoritarian Assad regime, which had shaped the country's politics for over half a century.

The new parliament in Damascus is expected to have 210 members, 60 more than the current provisional parliament, which was formed in March this year. The new parliament will serve for a transitional period of three years, at the end of which a new constitution is to be adopted. Foreign election observers are allowed.

Areas that are not under government control at present, such as the Kurdish-controlled regions and the predominantly Druze province of Sweida, which was recently shaken by violent unrest, will continue to have seats allocated on the basis of their population, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA.

The fact that elections are taking place is a truly historic moment, said Sarah Bassisseh, a political scientist researching at the University of Tübingen. "Syriais going through a difficult transition phase. But the fact that the country now has a new electoral system gives many Syrians great hope, even if they are aware of the difficulties associated with the elections, particularly the general loss of trust among smaller sectarian and ethnic groups in the government," she said.

This makes it all the more important for the country's political leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, to convince these groups that the elections are transparent and legitimate.

Middle East expert Birgit Schaebler, historian and professor at the University of Erfurt........

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