Syria's transitional parliament opens first session with 206 of 210 members, Sweida seats unfilled

Syria's transitional parliament opened its first session on Sunday with 206 members present. The 210-seat body is tasked with drafting a new constitution and preparing for elections under a renewable 30-month mandate. Two-thirds of the seats were filled by local committees appointed by an electoral commission named by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who appointed the remaining 70 members last week.

Representatives were sworn in during the session. Abdelhalim al-Awwak, a legal expert from Hasakeh province who helped draft last year's temporary constitutional declaration, was elected speaker with 99 votes. Members from Druze-majority Sweida province were absent from the opening session, as the province has not designated its members following sectarian bloodshed there last year.

One member had died before the session began. Syria's new authorities dissolved the previous legislature after toppling Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. The parliament's mandate includes forming a constitution-drafting committee, approving the budget, and proposing laws.

Claudio Cordone, deputy UN special envoy for Syria, described the session as a key milestone in the country's political transition. The UN will follow the parliament's work closely, he said.