The committee which organised Syria's first parliamentary elections since the fall of Bashar al-Assad has acknowledged 'significant shortcomings', after results showed only 13% of the seats contested were won by female and minority candidates. Observers said six women and 10 members of religious and ethnic minorities were among the 119 people elected to the new People's Assembly on Sunday.
There was no direct popular vote. Instead, electoral colleges are selecting representatives for two-thirds of the 210 seats. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa is appointing the rest. An election committee spokesman said the president's choices might 'compensate' for the underrepresented components of society.
Twenty-one seats were not filled because the polls were postponed for security reasons in two Kurdish-controlled provinces in the north, and a third in the south which has seen deadly fighting between government forces and Druze militias. Sharaa declared that the elections were a 'historic moment' during a visit to a polling station and said the parliament would play an 'important oversight role' during its 30-month term.
However, the country has been rocked by several waves of deadly sectarian violence since then, fuelling fear and distrust among minorities. Sunday's polls were overseen by the Higher Committee for the Syrian People's Assembly Elections, whose 11 members were chosen by the president in June. They, in turn, appointed sub-committees which were tasked with selecting up to 7,000 members of 140 electoral colleges covering 60 districts.
In the end, women made up 14% of the 1,500 candidates, according to the Higher Committee. However, there were no quotas for female lawmakers, nor for those from the country's many ethnic and religious minorities. Election observers told Reuters news agency that two members of Assad's Alawite sect and several ethnic Kurds also won seats.
The US estimates that 10% of Syria's 24 million population is Christian. Sunni Muslims constitute 74%, other Muslim sects 13%, and Druze 3%. Najmeh suggested that 'the president's third [of the seats] could compensate' for some underrepresented components of society.
The elections 'did not represent the Syrian people's will, and did not represent all regions and communities in the country', said the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC).
On Tuesday, Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra announced a ceasefire agreement with leaders from Kurdish forces following clashes in the north, while tensions remain high in the southern province of Suweida amidst long-standing conflicts.
There was no direct popular vote. Instead, electoral colleges are selecting representatives for two-thirds of the 210 seats. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa is appointing the rest. An election committee spokesman said the president's choices might 'compensate' for the underrepresented components of society.
Twenty-one seats were not filled because the polls were postponed for security reasons in two Kurdish-controlled provinces in the north, and a third in the south which has seen deadly fighting between government forces and Druze militias. Sharaa declared that the elections were a 'historic moment' during a visit to a polling station and said the parliament would play an 'important oversight role' during its 30-month term.
However, the country has been rocked by several waves of deadly sectarian violence since then, fuelling fear and distrust among minorities. Sunday's polls were overseen by the Higher Committee for the Syrian People's Assembly Elections, whose 11 members were chosen by the president in June. They, in turn, appointed sub-committees which were tasked with selecting up to 7,000 members of 140 electoral colleges covering 60 districts.
In the end, women made up 14% of the 1,500 candidates, according to the Higher Committee. However, there were no quotas for female lawmakers, nor for those from the country's many ethnic and religious minorities. Election observers told Reuters news agency that two members of Assad's Alawite sect and several ethnic Kurds also won seats.
The US estimates that 10% of Syria's 24 million population is Christian. Sunni Muslims constitute 74%, other Muslim sects 13%, and Druze 3%. Najmeh suggested that 'the president's third [of the seats] could compensate' for some underrepresented components of society.
The elections 'did not represent the Syrian people's will, and did not represent all regions and communities in the country', said the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC).
On Tuesday, Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra announced a ceasefire agreement with leaders from Kurdish forces following clashes in the north, while tensions remain high in the southern province of Suweida amidst long-standing conflicts.
