DAMASCUS: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s Baath Party swept the parliamentary elections in the country, with results announced on Thursday.
The elections for 250 parliamentary seats were held on Monday across 8,151 centers in government-held areas. However, voting in several districts, including Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, and Daraa, was repeated due to reported irregularities such as double voting.
Alleged electoral violations led to the referral of some electoral center heads to the judiciary. A total of 1,516 candidates vied for the seats, with only 65 seats considered genuinely competitive.
The Baath Party and its allies presented a list of 185 candidates, with all expected to win seats, following the party’s primaries.
Thursday’s results confirmed the victory of all 185 candidates from the Baath Party and its allies, marking an increase from the coalition’s 177 seats in 2020. Voter turnout was reported at 38% of the 19.3 million eligible voters, according to election officials.
Unlike presidential elections, Syrians in the diaspora are ineligible to vote in parliamentary elections.
Jihad Murad, head of the Supreme Judicial Committee for Elections, announced that the results represented broad representation of Syria’s diverse groups and sectors.
These elections, the fourth since the civil war began in 2011, come as Assad approaches term limits that would conclude his presidency in 2028.
The next parliament is expected to pursue a constitutional amendment to extend Assad’s term, requiring a three-quarters majority of 188 votes, slightly more than held by the Baath Party and allied candidates, who are generally seen as supportive of the government.
