People's Assembly of Syria

People’s Assembly of the Syrian Arab Republic مجلس الشعب الجمهورية العربية السورية
Type
Type	Unicameral
Leadership
Speaker	Hammouda Sabbagh, NPF-ASBP since 28 September 2017
Structure
Seats	250
Political groups	Government:   NPF (177)   Independents (73)
Length of term	4 years
Elections
Last election	19 July 2020
Next election	2024
Meeting place
Parliament Building, Damascus, Syria
Website
http://parliament.gov.sy/

The People's Assembly (Arabic: مجلس الشعب, Majlis al-Sha'ab; French: Assemblée du peuple) is Syria's legislative authority. It has 250 members elected for a four-year term in 15 multi-seat constituencies. There are two main political fronts; the National Progressive Front and Popular Front for Change and Liberation. The 2012 elections, held on 7 May, resulted in a new parliament that, for the first time in four decades, is based on a multi-party system. In 2016 Hadiya Khalaf Abbas, Ph.D., representing Deir Ezzor since 2003, became the first woman elected to be the Speaker. In 2017, Hammouda Sabbagh became the first Orthodox Christian to have held the post.

The assembly meets at least three times a year and in special occasions called by the council's president or the president of the country.

Latest elections

The last elections were held on the 19 July 2020. Several lists were allowed to run across the country but any real opposition is absent. Millions of Syrians living abroad, after fleeing a war that has killed more than 380,000 people, are not eligible to vote.

The National Progressive Front won 183 out of 250 seats, 167 of which were for the Ba'ath Party, while 67 Independents held the rest of the seats.

 Summary of the 19 July 2020 People's Council of Syria election results

Parties	Votes	%	Seats	Seats inside
National Progressive Front (al-jabha al-waTaniyyah at-taqaddumiyyah)			183
Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party (Hizb al-ba'th al-'arabi al-ishtiraki)				167
Syrian Social Nationalist Party (al-Hizb as-suri al-qawmi al-ijtima'i)				3
Arab Socialist Union (al-ittiHad al-ishtiraki al-'arabi)				3
Communist Party of Syria (al-Hizb ash-shuyu'i as-suri, Wissal Farha Bakdash faction)				2
Socialist Unionists (al-wahdawiyyun al-ishtirakiyyun)				2
Communist Party of Syria (Yusuf Faisal faction)				2
National Vow Movement (Harakat al-'ahd al-waTani)				2
Arabic Democratic Union Party (Hizb Al-Ittihad Al-'Arabi Al-Dimuqrati)			1
Democratic Socialist Unionist Party (Hizb Al-Wahdawi Al-ishtiraki Al-Dimuqrati)			1
Popular Front for Change and Liberation			0
People's Will Party	0
Non-partisans (Independent)	67
Total			250
Source: Election results

Names of legislature

The name of the legislature in Syria has changed, as follows, as has the composition and functions:

• Under the Occupied Enemy Territory Administration (1917–1920)
  • Syrian National Congress (1919–1920)
• Arab Kingdom of Syria (1920)
  • Syrian National Congress (1920)
• State of Syria, part of the French Mandate (1922–1930)
  • Constituent Council (1923–1925)
  • Constituent Assembly (1924–1930)
• Syrian Republic (1930–58)
  • Council of Representatives (1932–1933)
  • Chamber of Deputies (1932–1946)
  • House of Representatives (1947–1949)
  • Constituent Assembly (1949–1951)
  • Chamber of Deputies (1953–1958)
• United Arab Republic (1958–1961)
  • Chamber of Deputies (1958–1960)
• Syrian Arab Republic (1961–present)
  • Chamber of Deputies (1961–1963)
  • National Revolutionary Council (1965–1966)
  • People's Assembly (1971–present)

See also

• Speaker of the People's Council of Syria
• Politics of Syria
• List of legislatures by country

External links

• People's Assembly of Syria official government website
• Syria's Legislative System profiles of people and institutions provided by the Arab Decision project