Druze Activist: Delay in Syria’s Parliament signals crisis of legitimacy and representation

As Syrians await the first session of the new Syrian Parliament (People’s Assembly) following the completion of member selection in Hasakah Governorate, the date of the assembly’s convening remains unknown. This comes despite earlier statements and reports indicating that its inaugural session would be held on June 8, raising growing questions about the reasons behind the delay and the parliament’s role during the transitional period.

While some view the assembly as a means of filling the legislative vacuum and contributing to the rebuilding of state institutions, others question its legitimacy and the mechanism through which it was formed. Discussions continue regarding its ability to represent Syrians and reflect their aspirations during a critical stage in the country’s history.

In this context, Druze lawyer and activist Shorouq Abu Zeidan stated that the current parliament in Syria is “entirely illegitimate,” arguing that the mechanism used to form it is not based on sound electoral foundations that would guarantee its independence and genuine representation of citizens.

She explained that one-third of the parliament’s members will be appointed directly by interim government president Ahmed al-Sharaa, while the remaining two-thirds were selected through electoral committees that he himself helped establish. According to her, this makes the parliament “completely subordinate to the executive authority” and limits its ability to perform its legislative and oversight functions independently.

Abu Zeidan argued that any parliament’s ability to meet the aspirations of Syrians depends first on whether it possesses legitimacy derived from the will of voters and represents the various components of society. She stressed that the exclusion of any region or social group strips it of its representative character and weakens public confidence in any laws or decisions it may issue.

Addressing the absence of participation from Suwayda Governorate in the process of selecting assembly members, she explained that the governorate’s residents had refrained from engaging in the parliament’s formation from the outset because they viewed the process as illegitimate. She added that they also reject dealing with the interim government, particularly in light of the repercussions of the bloody events that took place in the governorate last July.

She further stated that the lack of representation of part of Syrian territory within the legislative institution negatively affects its national legitimacy, emphasizing that “any assembly that does not include all Syrian components and regions cannot enjoy full national legitimacy, regardless of the mechanism through which it was formed.”

On the extent to which Syrians may accept laws issued by the parliament, Abu Zeidan expressed her belief that such legislation will not receive sufficient legitimacy or public acceptance because, in her view, the parliament was not formed through the democratic mechanisms commonly recognized in the establishment of elected legislatures.

She stressed that a parliament capable of expressing the hopes and aspirations of Syrians must represent all components of the Syrian people without exception and include women, youth, and all social groups in a fair and equitable manner, free from exclusion or interference in electoral outcomes.

She affirmed that the fundamental condition for a parliament to acquire genuine national legitimacy is the holding of free and fair elections subject to public oversight, ensuring that all Syrians can participate in choosing their representatives.

Concluding her remarks, Druze lawyer and activist Shorouq Abu Zeidan emphasized that the parliament capable of genuinely contributing to the building of a new Syria is one elected through the free will of the people, able to carry out its legislative and oversight responsibilities independently, monitor the work of the government, hold state institutions accountable, and benefit from national expertise and competencies in a manner that serves the public interest and fulfills Syrians’ aspirations for a state founded on participation, genuine representation, and the rule of law.

ANHA