Al-Sharaa hails Syria's first post-Assad parliament election as 'historic'

Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, hailed Sunday's parliamentary election as a "historic moment" for the country as electoral colleges cast votes to choose the first assembly since the ousting of Bashar al-Assad.

Sharaa, who came to power after his Islamist forces overthrew the Assad regime in December, was speaking at the National Library Centre in Damascus, where dozens of voters lined up to cast their ballots.

"Syrians are proud today to move from war and chaos to elections," Al-Sharaa said.

Six thousand electors cast their ballots on Sunday, with polling stations open between 0900 (0600 GMT) and 1700 (1400) GMT. Results are expected to be announced later in the evening.

Voting for the 210-member People's Assembly was handled by local electoral colleges, rather than the public, under a new system introduced by the new government that has been criticised for being unrepresentative and centralising power in the hands of the president.

Under the system, Al-Sharaa will handpick a third of the assembly, while the committees will decide the other 140 representatives. Candidates were approved by a national committee appointed by the president.

The parliament will have a renewable 30-month term during the transitional period.

More than 1,500 people – only 14 percent of them women – ran as candidates in the election.

Officials have defended the use of committees to elect the new parliament, saying that it is not possible to hold a popular vote due to the fragile security situation, the number of displaced people, and administrative difficulties faced by the fledgling government.

Voting did not take place in the Druze-majority province of Suweida and the Kurdish-controlled governorates of Raqqa and Hasakah amid a continued stand-off with the government.

The autonomous regions have refused to reintegrate with national institutions amid concerns about how the Islamist-led administration in Damascus will treat minorities.

Attitudes among the Druze and the Kurds have hardened in recent months in the wake of sectarian violence carried out by pro-government Sunnis for es in Syria's coastal region and Suweida.

The postponement of voting in the regions will leave 19 seats vacant in the assembly.

In March, Al-Sharaa signed into law an interim constitution that set out a five-year transition period that would lead to fresh presidential elections.

The constitution handed the president far-reaching powers over passing legislation, appointing MPs to the assembly, and making judicial appointments.