New era in post-Assad Syria: People's Assembly holds its first session

Following the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime, a historic step was taken in Syria's transition process, and the first session of the People's Assembly was held in the capital, Damascus. In the opening session, which was also attended by Head of State Ahmed al-Sharaa, the new members of parliament took their oaths collectively. In his speech, al-Sharaa emphasized that the country needs to build a new state structure based on the principles of responsibility and competence.

As a result of the secret ballot held, former judge Abdulhamid al-Awwaq received 99 votes and was elected as the new Speaker of the Assembly. Awwaq stated that they would eliminate the negative image of the destroyed former regime in parliament, work in harmony with the executive branch, and facilitate the legislative process. Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, on the other hand, stated that with this session, Syria has officially entered an era of effective constitutional institutions.

At the end of the session, the other assembly board members were also determined; Mustafa Musa and Madonna Bishara were elected as the first and second deputy speakers, respectively, while Mueyed Habib became the assembly secretary. UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone described the session as a critical turning point in the country's political transformation. Assembly Speaker al-Awwak concluded the first session by announcing that the next legislative session would be held on 26 July 2026.