Syria's New Parliament Convenes Inaugural Session, Lawmakers Outline Divergent Priorities
July 13, 2026 at 01:34 PM · Updated 96d ago
Coverage
5 reports · over 27 hours
برى مهنئا رئيس مجلس الشعب السورى الجديد: نأمل بأن تنعم دمشق بالأمن والاستقرار - اليوم السابع
(opens the publisher’s site)
ماذا ينتظر السوريون من مجلس الشعب الجديد؟
(opens the publisher’s site)
بالزي الكردي والنقاب.. كيف عكست نساء مجلس الشعب السوري تنوع المجتمع؟
(opens the publisher’s site)
منها العدالة الانتقالية والتشريع.. ما أولويات النواب في مجلس الشعب السوري الجديد؟
(opens the publisher’s site)بحضور الشرع.. انطلاق أولى جلسات مجلس الشعب السوري
(opens the publisher’s site)Syria's newly formed People's Assembly held its first session Sunday since the end of Bashar al-Assad's rule, electing leadership and revealing lawmakers' competing legislative priorities.
- Lawmaker Ahmad Mahmoud Abdullah prioritized enacting transitional justice legislation, citing its urgency for Syrians affected by the former regime's crimes.
- Lawmaker Mohammad al-Mudhib called for drafting a new constitution, noting Syria's societal diversity requires extended deliberation time.
- Lawmaker Mustafa Okosh identified education reform and investment promotion as top priorities, pledging to represent war-wounded Syrians.
- Lawmaker Fasla Yousef demanded electricity and water services for Hasaka province and advocated for a modern constitution guaranteeing all Syrians' rights, including Kurdish minority protections.
Latest developments
The inaugural session also featured an address by President Ahmed al-Shara, who attended the proceedings. He called on the assembly to serve as a model of responsibility, dialogue, and the rule of law, framing the council as the beginning of a new era for Syria.
Latest developments
In a subsequent development, an Al Jazeera public opinion survey indicated that Syrians viewed the inaugural session's absence of the customary applause for the president as a positive step toward democracy and free expression, contrasting with past practices under the former regime. Separately, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri congratulated newly elected Syrian Speaker Abdul Hamid Akeel Al-Awak, expressing hope for Damascus's stability. During the session, Kurdish lawmaker Fasla Youssef drew attention by wearing traditional Kurdish attire and reciting the constitutional oath in both Arabic and Kurdish, sparking debate over whether the assembly's 10% female representation is substantive or merely symbolic.