DAMASCUS, July 12 (Xinhua)-- Syria's newly formed People's Assembly convened its inaugural session on Sunday, the first legislature established since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
But analysts have said the assembly's real test lies ahead, not in its composition, but in its ability to function effectively as an institution during a fragile transition.
The 210-member assembly operates under a transitional framework: two-thirds of members were chosen by provincial electoral bodies, and one-third appointed by interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa.
It is expected to serve a 30-month term, reviewing legislation, approving budgets, and helping shape Syria's constitutional and legal framework.
The inaugural session was originally scheduled nearly a week earlier, but was postponed due to French President Emmanuel Macron's official visit to Damascus.
In his address to the session, al-Sharaa called for coordinated institutional efforts to rebuild the economy, improve public services, attract investment and boost employment, with the legislature playing a central role in reconstruction.
According to the Higher Committee for People's Assembly Elections, the temporary electoral process covered 13 provinces and 57 electoral districts, with more than 500 candidates competing before an electoral body of over 6,800 members, a mechanism officials have described as exceptional and temporary.
Arthur Quesnay, a researcher at Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne University, told Xinhua the assembly aims to build a new political base, but many members lack organizational backing, parliamentary experience and institutional resources, making effectiveness the body's immediate hurdle.
Political analysts Maher Ihsan and Ahmad al-Ashqar both noted the pragmatic balance in the assembly's composition, but al-Ashqar stressed that direct elections should expand only as security improves.
"The real challenge is not the composition of the parliament," al-Ashqar told Xinhua. "It is whether its members can function as one institution."
The analysts have agreed that economic legislation is expected to dominate the agenda, with priorities including investment improvement and job creation. Constitutional amendments and electoral legislation will require broader consensus.
Quesnay said the legislature's long-term credibility would depend less on its composition than on its ability to debate legislation meaningfully and strengthen the rule of law.
The analysts have agreed that the legislature's success will be measured not by the number of laws it passes, but by its capacity to restore public trust, advance economic recovery, and lay the foundations for broader representative governance during Syria's transition. ■
