Parliamentary elections will be held in Syria on 15 July 2024. The date was set by a decree issued by president Bashar al-Assad on 11 May 2024.[1] 250 members will be elected to serve a four-year legislative term.[1] Candidate submissions were accepted between 20 and 26 May.[2] On 29 May the Supreme Judicial Committee for Elections announced that 11,897 people had applied to run for the People's Council, of whom 9,194 were approved to run.[3] The government has selected 8150 polling stations for the election.[4]
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All 250 seats in the People's Assembly 126 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Background
editThe 250-member People's Assembly has been little more than a rubber stamp for the ruling Ba'athists since they came to power in the 1963 coup.[5][6][7] Two-thirds of the seats in the assembly are reserved for the Ba'athists and their allies in the National Progressive Front meaning it is impossible for the Ba'athists to lose an election.[6] However, since the start of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, elections to the Assembly have been seen as a "barometer of influence among the ruling elite" namely due to the rise in non-Alawite members that represent various new groups and militias which have helped prop-up the Ba'athist regime.[6] As such, Assad instructed the security apparatus of Syria to not intervene in Ba'athist primaries, to inject new "flavor" to revitalize the party.[6] The primary job of the new Assembly would be to amend the constitution to allow Assad to run for another term in 2028.[5] The government is also granting reforms as part of a rehabilitation effort with rebels that surrendered in Daraa, which the newly elected assembly will draft.[8]
The Independent High Electoral Commission of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria held rival elections for municipal councils on 30 May while in northwest Syria the Syrian Salvation Government's General Shura Council formed a "Supreme Electoral Committee" to consolidate their power.[5]
In 2018 rebels in Daraa agreed to surrender following a government offensive, however, anti-government sentiment remained strong in the region as protestors in Suwayda called for a boycott of the elections.[9][8]
International Views
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Germany: The German envoy to Syria, stated that Germany does not support holding elections in Syria at the moment, explaining that free and fair elections are an integral part of resolving the conflict and establishing peace in Syria, but the conditions are not yet ready. Germany reiterated its support of the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2254. Adding that holding elections in Syrian territory at this time will not push the political process forward but will instead entrench the long-standing status quo of conflict and division.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b Oweis, Khaled Yacoub (12 May 2024). "Syria to elect parliament in July after Assad makes changes in ruling Baath party". MENA.
- ^ "بعد تغييرات أمنية وحزبية... هل دمشق مقبلة على تغييرات فعلية؟" [After security and partisan changes... Is Damascus on the verge of actual changes?]. Asharq Al-Awsat (in Arabic). 2024-05-29. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ "أكثر من ثلثهم عمال وفلاحون.. 9194 مرشحاً لانتخابات برلمان النظام السوري" [More than a third of them are workers and farmers... 9,194 candidates for the Syrian regime’s parliamentary elections]. [[Syria TV (Turkey)|]] (in Arabic). 2024-05-29.
- ^ جوليا, عوض (2024-07-04). "اللجنة القضائية العليا للانتخابات: تحديد 8150 مركز اقتراع في انتخابات مجلس الشعب" [The Supreme Judicial Committee for Elections: We selected 8,150 polling stations for the People’s Assembly elections]. Syrian Arab News Agency (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ a b c Pran, Vladimir; Sfeir, Maroun (2024-04-25). "The Syrian parliamentary elections are coming up. Should anyone care?". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ a b c d Oweis, Khaled Yacoub. "Syria to elect parliament in July after Assad makes changes in ruling Baath party". The National. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ "Syrians prepare for 'predetermined' election". France 24. 2024-07-12. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
- ^ a b "Syrians believe parliamentary elections offer no prospects of change". North Press Agency. 2024-06-30. Retrieved 2024-07-04.
- ^ "Protesters in As-Suwayda call for boycott of People's Assembly elections". Enab Baladi. 2024-07-05. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
- ^ "Germany opposes holding any elections currently in Syria: It would entrench division". Enab Baladi. 2024-07-10. Retrieved 2024-07-11.