Syria's transitional People's Assembly held its inaugural session in Damascus on Sunday, marking a significant step in the country's effort to rebuild functioning state institutions after more than five decades of Assad family rule and a devastating civil war that claimed approximately half a million lives. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa addressed lawmakers, urging them to make the chamber a model of accountability and competence, and to help entrench a culture of dialogue, rule of law, and respect for institutions. "After liberating our homeland and regaining our freedom, we are all moving toward consolidating the state," he told parliamentarians, adding that Syria was writing a new chapter that reflected its civilisation, values, and heritage.

The 210-seat assembly was formed through a mixed process set out in a constitutional declaration issued after al-Sharaa came to power in December 2024 following Bashar Assad's fall. Two-thirds of members were selected through local electoral colleges — a mechanism that did not involve direct popular voting — while al-Sharaa directly appointed the remaining 70 seats. In a secret ballot among the 206 members present, lawmakers elected Abdul Hamid al-Awak as speaker, with 99 votes, defeating two other candidates. Al-Awak, originally from the northeastern Hassakeh province, served as a judge in the Justice Ministry for a decade before reportedly defecting from the Assad government in the early days of the uprising and relocating to Turkey. The assembly will serve an initial 30-month term, renewable, while a committee works to draft a permanent constitution ahead of future elections.

The session was held amid heavy security measures across central Damascus, according to reporters on the ground. Notably absent from full representation were areas under the control of Kurdish-led forces in the country's northeast and the predominantly Druze southern regions — both of which have experienced tensions with the central authority in Damascus — though al-Sharaa named two members from the Sweida governorate, which has been the scene of recent deadly violence, after representatives for that province had not yet been formally selected.

The assembly's formation has drawn criticism from human rights advocates and some Syrian communities, who have questioned the extent of al-Sharaa's influence over its composition and whether the body genuinely reflects the breadth of Syrian society. Ordinary Syrians interviewed by media expressed a mixture of hope and expectation, citing pressing concerns about transitional justice, the fate of displaced persons, unemployment, and basic economic hardship. The new parliament is mandated to propose and amend legislation, ratify international treaties, and approve the state budget — functions that will be central to stabilising a country still emerging from years of conflict and international isolation.