In Syria, voting commenced on Sunday, October 5, for the first parliamentary elections following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime. This is reported by Reuters.

During the indirect elections, approximately 6000 voters will participate in regional electoral colleges. Voting will take place from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Syria's leader Ahmed Ash-Sharaa, who came to power after his rebel army toppled Assad in December, is attempting to solidify his authority over the country.

The Higher Committee for Elections to the People's Council of Syria, appointed by Ash-Sharaa, has approved 1570 candidates who presented their platforms at public events this week. However, according to Reuters, the public campaign was quite subdued: there were no posters or billboards visible in major cities.

It is noted that during Sunday’s voting, two-thirds of the 210 parliamentary deputies will be elected, while the remaining third will be appointed by the president. Following this, the new parliament will be officially formed.

The authorities explain the indirect election system due to the lack of accurate demographic data and the mass displacement of Syrians caused by the war. Additionally, in three provinces where national minorities reside, voting has been postponed, leaving 19 parliamentary seats vacant.

Critics argue that this election format does not reflect the true will of the people and is overly centralized. Analysts believe that the legitimacy and diversity of the new parliament will depend on the selection of 70 deputies who will be appointed by Ash-Sharaa, or whether it will simply become an instrument for decision-making in favor of the current authorities.

As a reminder, on December 8, 2024, rebels led by the Islamist faction HTS seized the capital of Syria and announced the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. After this, Assad fled to Russia. Since the fall of his regime, 1 million Syrians have returned to Syria, including about 411 thousand from Turkey.