الرئيس السوري: فخورون بالانتقال من الفوضى إلى الانتخابات

Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara expressed the pride of Syrians in transitioning from a phase of war and chaos to elections. He described these elections as an important step in the transitional phase the country is undergoing after years of conflict. Al-Shara stated in a brief speech during his tour of several polling stations: “We have managed, within a few months, to enter a new electoral process, and Syrians take pride in moving from a phase of war and chaos to a phase of institutions and elections.”

Building Syria is a Shared Responsibility

He reiterated that “the task of building Syria is a shared responsibility among all its people,” pointing out that the current elections come in the context of a political process aimed at consolidating stability and filling the constitutional vacuum in the country.

Al-Shara indicated that Syrian laws need amendments to keep pace with the requirements of the new phase, and that there are a number of pending laws that need to be voted on and implemented to ensure the continuation of the state-building process. He emphasized that the country needs “to vote on several pending laws to move forward in the process of building and reconstruction.”

Preliminary Results

For its part, the Supreme Election Committee announced that preliminary results have begun to emerge. Committee spokesperson Nawar Najma stated: “The preliminary results of the vote counting in some electoral districts in several governorates have started to appear after the members of the electoral bodies cast their votes,” according to the SANA news agency. He clarified that the names of the winning candidates will be officially announced later during a press conference.

Dozens of voters lined up in front of the National Library in Damascus, which was formerly known as Assad Library, to cast their votes. The ballot boxes opened at 9 AM local time, while preliminary results are expected to be announced later today.

30-Month Term

The parliament is set to be formed with a term of thirty months, renewable, based on a mechanism specified by the constitutional declaration, and not through direct elections by the people. Under this mechanism, regional bodies formed by a higher committee will elect two-thirds of the council's members, totaling 210, while President al-Shara will appoint the remaining third.

A total of 1,578 candidates competed in the elections, with only 14% of them being women, according to the Supreme Election Committee, to win seats in the council.

The selection of council members in the governorates of Sweida, Raqqa (north), and Hasakah (northeast) was postponed due to “security challenges,” as previously announced by the Supreme Election Committee.