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EXPERT COMMENT

The formation of a new legislative body will serve as a test for whether Syria’s government is ready to embrace pluralism and institutional reform.

Syria’s transitional authorities are set to form a new legislative body between 15–20 September, the first such initiative since the fall of Bashar Al Assad’s regime. 

The process is not a popular vote or a general election. It instead adopts a hybrid model, with pre-selected electoral colleges voting to elect representatives for their respective districts, while other representatives are appointed directly by the president.

The elections come at a crucial time for President Ahmed al-Sharaa. He is set to address the United Nations General Assembly this month as he seeks to bolster his government’s legitimacy in the wake of deadly sectarian clashes in Sweida in July. Al-Sharaa faces a range of challenges, including tensions with Kurdish groups and others over integration, a collapsing economy, mounting humanitarian and financial needs, weakened state institutions and services, and ongoing destabilizing Israeli strikes on Syria.

On paper, the framework for the elections introduces incremental but notable improvements over the new Syrian government’s previous transitional efforts. It pledges wider representation, multiple consultation stages, and phased safeguards. Yet these promises are undermined by procedural concerns, weak oversight, and the risk of political manipulation.

Syria’s legislative reboot is more than an administrative milestone. It is a test of the transitional government’s willingness to embrace pluralism and institutional reform. Without genuine transparency and meaningful inclusion, the process risks becoming another top-down exercise that reinforces public cynicism over the government’s attempts to build a new, more pluralist Syria.

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.