Syria to hold parliamentary election

Syria will hold its first parliamentary elections in mid-September since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

The move is part of the new government's effort to gain international recognition and implement economic reforms critical for Syria's reintegration into the global community.

Unlike conventional elections, this process will be fully indirect, relying on local electoral bodies composed of community figures responsible for nominating and selecting parliamentarians.

The new assembly will consist of 210 seats. One third of the members will be directly appointed by Syrian interim leader Ahmad Al Sharaa, while the remaining two-thirds will be chosen by local electoral colleges.

The main responsibilities of the People's Assembly will include overseeing legislative affairs during the transitional period and fostering economic recovery in a country where the majority of the population lives below the poverty line.

"There are decisions that practically require a parliament, such as negotiating with Israel, changing the general policy of the state, revising cultural policies, and even integrating foreign militants into the new Syrian military," said Mazen Bilai, a Syrian political expert.

Syria's supreme committee for parliamentary elections announced in late August the postponement of parliamentary elections in three provinces due to security challenges: Al-Hasakeh and Raqqa in northeastern Syria, controlled predominantly by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and Sweida in southern Syria, held by the Druze minority.

This, in turn, raises questions about the inclusivity of the parliament and how effective it will be.

Muhannad Ahmad, a Syrian citizen, hopes that the new parliament will unite the country amid a moment filled with questions about the country's future direction.

"I think that the new parliament, after being formed, should have a major role in preserving the unity of the Syrian society, boosting civil peace among Syrian components in addition to conveying the aspirations of the Syrian people in the future of their country," he said.

The term of the People's Assembly will last up to three years, until a permanent constitution is adopted.

Syria to hold parliamentary election

China and Canada should work together to promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of bilateral economic and trade relations, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said in Beijing on Friday.

He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while attending the Canada-China Trade and Investment Banquet together with the visiting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Speaking at the event, He said that under the strategic guidance of the important consensus reached by their leaders, China and Canada should adhere to the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, win-win cooperation, and mutual success, and jointly promote the stable, healthy, and sustainable development of bilateral economic and trade relations.

China is steadfastly expanding high-standard opening up, continuously developing new quality productive forces, and is willing to work with countries around the world, including Canada, to create new prospects for cooperation, said He.

Carney noted at the banquet that China is Canada's second-largest trading partner and said Canada looks forward to strengthening high-level exchanges with China, making full use of dialogue mechanisms in areas such as the economy and trade, and deepening cooperation in trade, agriculture, energy and other fields.

Carney arrived in Beijing on Wednesday to begin a four-day official visit to China, marking the first trip to the country by a Canadian prime minister in eight years.

China, Canada should work together for stable, healthy, sustainable economic ties: Vice Premier