2024 Syrian parliamentary election

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2024 Syrian parliamentary election
Flag of Syria.svg
←  2020 15 July 2024Next →
All 250 seats in the People's Assembly
126 seats needed for a majority
Turnout38.16% Increase2.svg
 First partySecond party
  Bashar al-Assad in May 2024.png
IND
Leader Bashar al-Assad
Party Ba'ath Party Independent
Alliance NPF
Last election18367
Seats won18565
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 2Decrease2.svg 2
Speaker 0000000 before election

Hammouda Sabbagh
Ba'ath Party

Elected
Speaker

Hammouda Sabbagh
Ba'ath Party

Parliamentary elections were held in Syria on 15 July 2024. The date was set by a decree issued by President Bashar al-Assad on 11 May 2024. [1] 250 members were elected to serve a four-year term in the People's Assembly. [1] Under the Ba'ath party, Syria's parliamentary elections occurred every four years, with the previous election held in 2020. These were the last elections to be held in Ba'athist Syria, prior to its overthrow following the 2024 Syrian opposition offensive.

Contents

Background

The 250-member People's Assembly has been little more than a rubber stamp for the ruling Ba'ath party since it came to power in a 1963 coup. [2] [3] [4] Two-thirds of the seats in the assembly are reserved for the Ba'athists and their allies in the National Progressive Front, meaning it is impossible for the Ba'athists to lose an election. [3] However, since the start of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, elections to the Assembly have been seen as a "barometer of influence among the ruling elite" namely due to the rise in non-Alawite members that represent various new groups and militias which have helped prop-up the Ba'athist regime. [3] As such, Assad instructed the security apparatus of Syria not to intervene in Ba'athist primaries, to inject new "flavor" to revitalize the party. [3] [2]

The government is also granting reforms as part of a rehabilitation effort with rebels that surrendered in Daraa, which the newly elected assembly will draft. [5] In 2018, rebels in Daraa agreed to surrender following a government offensive. However, anti-government sentiment remained strong in the region as protestors in Suwayda called for a boycott of the elections. [6] [5]

Among the pressing issues of the election was the government's poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the flight or fatigue of the country's doctors. Additionally, the Syrian pound reached new lows against the US dollar, resulting in food and fuel inflation. The government also cancelled subsidies while doubling public sector and pension wages. Assad meanwhile is focusing on parliament being a "national dialogue" for domestic issues to be resolved, and repairing relations with Turkey in order for the latter to withdraw from their occupied territories. [7]

Electoral system

The 250 seats of the People's Assembly of Syria are elected through party block voting in 15 multi-member constituencies. Voters in a riding choose a list of candidates, and the one with the most votes wins all the seats at stake in the riding. Each list is made up of a minimum of two-thirds of Ba'ath Party candidates and half of workers and peasants, so that the total of the latter is 127 out of the total of 250 elected deputies.

Candidate submissions were accepted between 20 and 26 May. [8] On 29 May the Supreme Judicial Committee for Elections announced that 11,897 people had applied to run for the People's Assembly, of whom 9,194 were approved to run. [9] Candidates were allowed to contest seats in rebel-held areas, although only voters living in government-held areas were allowed to vote. [10] The number of candidates who were finally listed in ballot papers for the 250 seats was reduced to 1,516, while the government set up 8,151 polling stations for the election. [11] [12] The Ba'ath party and its allies fielded 185 candidates. [13]

Voting was not held in rebel-occupied northwest Syria, alongside the ambiguously contended northeast region. Additionally, Syrians abroad were not allowed to participate in the election. [7]

Conduct

Polling stations opened at 07:00, and were supposed to close at 21:00 [14] but were extended by two hours by the Higher Judicial Committee. [15] The stated size of the eligible electorate was criticized by the Atlantic Council due to a lack of maintenance of civil registry adult records. [16]

Incidents

Several polling stations were attacked by demonstrators who also destroyed ballot boxes while chanting anti-Assad slogans in As-Suwayda Governorate. One protester was injured after being shot by security forces. [10]

Elections in the governorates of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Daraa were canceled and had to be repeated due to violations relating to some voters voting more than once. [17] [18]

Results

The results were published on 18 July, with the nationwide turnout for the election at 38.16%. [19] [20] A total of 7,326,844 voters participated out of an eligible 19,200,325. [21]

The Ba'ath party won 169 seats, while its allies won 16 (three for the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, two for the Syrian Communist Party (Unified), two for the Syrian Communist Party (Bakdash), two for the National Covenant Party, two for the Arab Democratic Union Party, two for the Socialist Unionist Party, two for the Arab Socialist Union Party, and one for the Democratic Socialist Unionist Party). The remaining 65 seats were won by independents. [22]

Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
National Progressive Front Ba'ath Party 169+2
Syrian Social Nationalist Party 30
Arab Socialist Union Party 2–1
Syrian Communist Party (Bakdash) 2–1
National Covenant Party 20
Socialist Unionist Party 20
Arab Democratic Union Party 2+1
Syrian Communist Party (Unified) 2+1
Democratic Socialist Unionist Party 10
Independents65−2
Total250–
Total votes7,326,844–
Registered voters/turnout19,200,32538.16
Source: Middle East Institute [22]

Aftermath

Following the election, President Assad issued a decree appointing former Communications Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali as Prime Minister of Syria on 14 September. [23] On 23 September 2024, a new Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali government was formed.

Reactions

Overseas opposition groups in exile described the election as "absurd", saying that it only represented "the ruling authority". [10] The Kurdish National Council stated that they consider the election illegitimate, saying that the "Syrian regime continues to exert its authority by force through these elections, disregarding UN resolutions aimed at resolving the civil war and political issues in Syria". [24]

The German ambassador to Syria stated that Germany did not support holding elections in Syria at the moment, explaining that free and fair elections are an integral part of resolving the conflict and establishing peace in Syria, but the conditions were not yet ready and that holding the election at this time would entrench the status quo of conflict and division. Germany also reiterated its support of the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254. [25]

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References

  1. 1 2 Oweis, Khaled Yacoub (12 May 2024). "Syria to elect parliament in July after Assad makes changes in ruling Baath party". MENA. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  2. 1 2 Pran, Vladimir; Sfeir, Maroun (25 April 2024). "The Syrian parliamentary elections are coming up. Should anyone care?". Atlantic Council . Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Oweis, Khaled Yacoub. "Syria to elect parliament in July after Assad makes changes in ruling Baath party". The National . Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  4. ↑ "Syrians prepare for 'predetermined' election". France 24 . 12 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Syrians believe parliamentary elections offer no prospects of change". North Press Agency. 30 June 2024. Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  6. ↑ "Protesters in As-Suwayda call for boycott of People's Assembly elections". Enab Baladi . 5 July 2024. Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  7. 1 2 Aji, Albert; Sewell, Abby (15 July 2024). "Syrians vote for their next parliament, which may pave the way for Assad to extend his rule". Associated Press . Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  8. ↑ "بعد تغييرات أمنية وحزبية... هل دمشق مقبلة على تغييرات فعلية؟" [After security and partisan changes... Is Damascus on the verge of actual changes?]. Asharq Al-Awsat (in Arabic). 29 May 2024. Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  9. ↑ "أكثر من ثلثهم عمال وفلاحون.. 9194 مرشحاً لانتخابات برلمان النظام السوري" [More than a third of them are workers and farmers... 9,194 candidates for the Syrian regime’s parliamentary elections]. Syria TV (in Arabic). 29 May 2024. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 "No surprises expected as Syrians vote in parliamentary poll". France 24 . 15 July 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  11. ↑ جوليا, عوض (4 July 2024). "اللجنة القضائية العليا للانتخابات: تحديد 8150 مركز اقتراع في انتخابات مجلس الشعب" [The Supreme Judicial Committee for Elections: We selected 8,150 polling stations for the People’s Assembly elections]. Syrian Arab News Agency (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 4 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  12. ↑ Aji, Albert; Sewell, Abby (15 July 2024). "Syrians Vote for Next Parliament, Which May Pave the Way to Extending Assad's Rule". Time.
  13. ↑ AJI, ALBERT; SEWELL, ABBY (18 July 2024). "Syrian President Assad's Baath Party clinches control of parliament, election results show". Associated Press . Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  14. ↑ Salameh, Manar (15 July 2024). "Syrians head to ballot boxes this morning to elect their representatives in People's Assembly". Syrian Arab News Agency . Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  15. ↑ Mazen (15 July 2024). "Higher Judicial Committee announces the closing of ballot boxes and beginning of counting votes". Syrian Arab News Agency . Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  16. ↑ Pran, Vladimir; Sfeir, Maroun (10 July 2024). "Syria's inflated electorate is caused by phantom voters". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  17. ↑ عوض, جوليا (16 July 2024). "القاضي مراد: إعادة الانتخابات في عدد من مراكز حلب وريفها" [Judge Murad: Elections will be repeated in a number of centers in Aleppo and its countryside]. Syrian Arab News Agency . Damascus.
  18. ↑ Aji, Albert (18 July 2024). "Syrian President Assad's Baath Party clinches control of parliament, election results show". AP News. Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  19. ↑ "Syrian President Assad's Baath Party clinches control of parliament, election results show". ABC News. 18 July 2024.
  20. ↑ "اللجنة القضائية العليا للانتخابات تعلن نتائج انتخابات مجلس الشعب للدور التشريعي الرابع". alwehda.gov.sy. 18 July 2024. Archived from the original on 22 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  21. ↑ "اللجنة القضائية العليا للانتخابات تعلن نتائج انتخابات مجلس الشعب للدور التشريعي الرابع". Syrian Arab News Agency (in Arabic). 18 July 2024. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  22. 1 2 "Syria's ruling Baath party wins parliamentary vote as expected". Al Arabiya . Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  23. ↑ "President Al-Assad issues decree that assigns Dr. Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali to form the new cabinet in Syria". Syrian Arab News Agency. 14 September 2024.
  24. ↑ "ENKS denounces Syrian elections as illegitimate, claims bias towards ruling party". Kurdistan 24. 15 July 2024. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  25. ↑ "Germany opposes holding any elections currently in Syria: It would entrench division". Enab Baladi . 10 July 2024. Archived from the original on 11 July 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
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