New Syrian Parliament Holds First Official Meeting 19 Months After Assad Regime Overthrow

The new Syrian parliament held its first official meeting today, Sunday, in the city of Damascus; a gathering taking place 19 months after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime by armed opposition forces led by Ahmed Al-Shara. In his speech before the parliament members, Ahmed Al-Shara urged them to transform this institution into a “model of accountability and meritocracy.” He also described the parliament as a “platform for truth and justice” and emphasized its role in the country’s new political phase. According to Al-Shara, Syria is making “a proud history” that reflects the heroism of its people. He added that the current responsibility of the new leaders is to focus on nation-building and empowering citizens. The meeting was held amid widespread views seeing it as a test of Ahmed Al-Shara’s commitment to establishing an inclusive political system in Syria. For decades, the country was ruled by the Assad family; a period during which the parliament mainly served to endorse government decisions and lacked practical independence. Attention is now focused on the performance of the new parliament to determine whether it can become an influential institution in major national decision-making.