NUR EL-AHMED

Raqqa- Parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held in Syria between 15-20 September 2025, the first elections to be held since the fall of the 61-year-old Baathist regime in December 2024.

The upcoming parliamentary elections are an “imposition of centralized administration”, said Meryem İbrahim, Co-chair of the Social Affairs and Labor Authority in North and East Syria, stressing that the elections will be illegitimate because the elections will not be held in Sweida, Hasakah and Raqqa.

About two weeks ago, the President ratified a decree establishing a temporary electoral system for the People’s Assembly. The decree sets the number of assembly members at 210 and allows the President to appoint one-third of them directly.

‘The will of more than 8 million people will be ignored’

Meryem İbrahim commented on the delay of elections in Sweida, Hasakah and Raqqa and said, “This means the will of more than 8 million people will be ignored. The upcoming elections do not represent Syrian people.”

‘The execution proves their intention to divide’

The Syrian interim government decided to delay the elections in Sweida, Hasakah and Raqqa for “security concerns” and seats in these three provinces will be vacant until it is “safe” to have elections. “The exclusion of Raqqa and Hasakah under the pretext of lack of security and public order and the lack of representation of the people in these provinces prove the government’s intention to divide the regions in North and East Syria. North and East Syria is the safest and most secure region in Syria. The execution of more than eight million Syrians is illegitimate and will undermine the legitimacy of the election results.”

‘The elections will fail’

Meryem İbrahim highlighted the Syrian people's hope for a democratic system and representative elections and said, “The Syrian people have already paid the heaviest price of the Syrian civil war. They have made sacrifices for fourteen years; however, they have not had a Syria they have dreamed of. They are not optimistic about the temporary electoral system and the government’s authoritarian mindset, similar to that of the old regime.”

Meryem Ibrahim also talked about the women’s participation in the elections. “The electoral system marginalizes women’s role. Imposing a quota for women undermines women’s role. This gender quota will not contribute to strengthening the role of women in politics. In North and East Syria, we have a 50% quota system. The Syrian people need a 50% quota system to build a democratic country.”

‘Syria needs stability’

Meryem Ibrahim criticized the interim government and said, “Syria needs stability not execution after years of crisis. There are still many social and economic challenges and obstacles. The international community must take action to stop the elections that do not represent the Syrian people.”