Syria’s parliament opens with quiet break from Assad era

Syria's newly formed People's Assembly convened its first session on Sunday, electing Dr. Abdul Hamid al-Awak as speaker and marking a significant step in the country's transitional period following the fall of former President Bashar Assad. The 210-seat legislature, comprising 140 elected and 70 appointed members, saw 206 lawmakers take their constitutional oath. A notable departure from the Assad era was the absence of prolonged applause for President Ahmed al-Sharaa's address, which many Syrians viewed as a symbolic shift in political culture. President al-Sharaa described the launch as "an important national milestone" toward strengthening consultation and institution-building. Bashar al-Hawi, an MP, stated, "The absence of applause was not accidental. It reflected a firm conviction that parliament should be a legislative institution where there is no place for glorification or applause for the president." The session also featured symbolic firsts, including the presence of the first Kurdish woman and first veiled woman, and the election of a woman as second deputy speaker. The UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, Claudio Cordone, welcomed the opening as "a pivotal milestone" in the political transition.