Syrian parliament convenes 1st session after one-week delay

Syria's newly formed parliament is convening in Damascus for its inaugural session after a one-week postponement, marking its first meeting since its members were selected and appointed under the Constitutional Declaration.

The session follows the issuance of Decree No. 143 of 2026 by Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, appointing the members of parliament, including those allocated to the complementary one-third quota. The appointments complete the formation of the 210-member legislature, with the exception of the three seats allocated to Suwayda Governorate, which remain vacant.

At the opening of the session, lawmakers are scheduled to take the constitutional oath collectively, rather than individually, before proceeding to elect the Speaker of Parliament and members of the parliamentary bureau, who will oversee the chamber's proceedings and manage its legislative business during the transitional period, in accordance with the Constitutional Declaration and the temporary electoral framework.

Following the election of its leadership, parliament is also expected to discuss its operating procedures mechanism, establish its parliamentary committees, and approve the agenda for the next phase, paving the way for the legislature to begin carrying out its responsibilities during the transitional period.

The inaugural parliamentary session had originally been scheduled for Monday, July 6, but the Higher Committee for Elections postponed it until today without issuing an official statement explaining the reasons for the delay.

Earlier, sources familiar with the matter told ANHA agency that the postponement was intended to finalize organizational arrangements for the opening session, primarily the procedure for administering the constitutional oath. Officials ultimately agreed that lawmakers would take the oath collectively rather than individually, while also completing preparations for the election of the Speaker of Parliament and members of the parliamentary bureau.

The sources added that discussions also addressed the format of the constitutional oath for members representing different ethnic communities before a unified procedure for the inaugural session was agreed upon.

Syria's parliament consists of 210 members, with 140 selected through provincial electoral bodies, while Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa appointed the remaining 70 members under the so-called "complementary third" quota, in accordance with the temporary electoral system governing the legislature during the transitional period.