Syria sets date for selection of new transitional parliament

Syrian authorities announced on Sunday that a new transitional parliament would be selected in September, with local electoral bodies picking two-thirds of the lawmakers and the country's interim president naming the rest.

After toppling longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December after nearly 14 years of civil war, Syria's new authorities — led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa — dissolved the country's rubber-stamp legislature and adopted a temporary constitutional declaration to cover a five-year transition period.

In June, a presidential decree established a 10-member committee to supervise the formation of local electoral bodies to select a new batch of lawmakers.

State news agency SANA reported on Sunday that committee head Mohammed Taha al-Ahmad had met with Sharaa to discuss the process, later announcing plans for a new 210-seat parliament with 140 members chosen by the local bodies and 70 appointed by the president.

"The election of members of the People's Assembly is expected to take place between 15-20 September," Ahmad was quoted as saying, vowing women would be represented in the process.

Ahmad's committee presented Sharaa with the final plan for the selection process during a meeting on Saturday, according to a statement from the presidency. AFP