DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria’s newly formed legislature convened for the first time on Sunday since the removal of former President Bashar Assad, as the country takes steps to rebuild its political institutions after years of conflict and one-family rule.
The 210-seat People’s Assembly is made up of two distinct groups: two-thirds of the members were chosen through electoral colleges, while the remaining one-third were directly appointed by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The body is expected to serve for 30 months as the nation prepares for future democratic elections.
The opening of parliament signals that Syria is pressing forward with creating new legislation as it works to recover from decades of harsh rule under the Assad family dynasty and a catastrophic war that claimed the lives of roughly half a million people.
Addressing the assembled lawmakers, al-Sharaa declared, “After liberating our homeland and regaining our freedom, we are all moving toward consolidating the state.”
Following an oath-taking ceremony, the legislators chose Abdul Hamid al-Awak to serve as speaker of the assembly. According to Syria’s state-run SANA news agency, al-Awak hails from the northeastern Hassakeh province and spent a decade working as a judge within the Justice Ministry. Reports indicate he was among a number of Syrian officials who broke away from the Assad government during the early stages of the uprising and subsequently relocated to Turkey.
