Syria’s newly established People’s Assembly convened for the first time on Sunday, electing constitutional law scholar Dr. Abdul Hamid al-Awak as its speaker. Mustafa Moussa and Dr. Madona Suhail Bashara were chosen as deputy speakers during the historic opening session — the first gathering of a Syrian legislative body since the collapse of former President Bashar Assad’s government, and the beginning of Syria’s transitional legislative period.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa attended the session, during which 206 lawmakers took the constitutional oath before choosing the assembly’s leadership and establishing a temporary legal committee to guide parliamentary procedures.
The 210-seat body is made up of 140 elected members and 70 members appointed by the president. Four seats remain unfilled — three set aside for Suwayda province, where elections could not take place, and one for Idlib following the death of a member.
Al-Awak, who hails from Hasakah province, is considered one of the most significant legal figures to emerge during Syria’s transitional period. A constitutional law professor and former judge who broke from the previous government, he led the committee that drafted Syria’s constitutional declaration guiding the transition. He has long championed the separation of powers and stronger oversight by the legislature.
However, what captured the most attention among Syrians was not the leadership election or President al-Sharaa’s remarks — it was what was missing. For the first time in more than fifty years, a Syrian president delivered a speech to parliament without being greeted by prolonged, orchestrated applause. During the presidencies of both Hafez and Bashar Assad, lawmakers had routinely stood and clapped for extended periods before the president spoke, often followed by speeches pledging loyalty and backing government policies.
Many Syrians saw the silence as a meaningful signal of a changing political atmosphere within the new legislature. The moment quickly spread across Syrian social media, with many users calling it a break from decades of parliamentary tradition, while others argued the assembly should ultimately be judged by its laws and actions rather than its opening ceremony.
The session also featured several historic firsts, including the presence of the first Kurdish woman and the first veiled woman to serve in the assembly. Dr. Bashara’s election as second deputy speaker also placed a woman in one of the legislature’s top leadership roles.
Following the session, President al-Sharaa posted on X, calling the launch of the People’s Assembly
