Syrian Arab Republic

People's Assembly

Political system: Transitional system
Structure of parliament: Unicameral
IPU membership: Yes

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.

Background

Election date(s): 13 Apr 2016
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: 23 May 2016
Timing of election: Upon normal expiry
Number of seats at stake: 250
Scope of elections: Full renewal

Candidates

Total number of candidates: -

Notes:
Number of candidates: About 3,500. Initially 11,341 people submitted their candidacy but only 3,500 remained in race by the polling day.
The number of women candidates is not available from authoritative sources.: Yes

Voter turnout

Registered voters: 8,834,994
Voters: 5,085,444
Voter turnout: 57.6%

Results

About the election: On 22 February 2016, President Bashar al-Assad issued a decree calling elections to the People's Assembly for 13 April. The elections were held during the ongoing civil war that began in late 2011. Elections took place with talks, led by the United Nations, on a possible political transition, including the possibility of a new constitution and presidential and parliamentary elections by September 2017.

Opposition forces called for a boycott of the 2016 elections, accusing the government of using the vote to gain leverage in the peace talks. The High Negotiations Committee, the main opposition force in exile, termed the vote "illegitimate".

The National Unity alliance, supporting President al-Assad and his Baath Party, won 200 seats in the 250-member People's Assembly. Many candidates reportedly focused on security issues. On 2 May, the President issued a decree naming winners of parliamentary elections.

Elections did not take place in Raqa and Idlib provinces, which are controlled by the so-called Islamic State and the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front. Amid the violence, fewer Syrians registered to vote in 2016: 8.8 million, down from 10.1 million in 2012. Over 140,000 refugees returned to the country in order to vote. According to the Higher Judicial Committee for Elections, turnout in 2016 was 57.56%, up from 51.26 % in 2012.
Number of parties winning seats: 6
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition: 68.8%
Alternation of power after elections: No
Number of parties in government: 5
Names of parties in government: Baath Arab Party, Syrian Communist Party, Syrian Social Nationalist Party, Socialist Unionists, Socialist Union Party.

Note: The Government also include independent members.

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political group	Total
Baath Arab Party	172
Independents	62
Syrian Social Nationalist Party	7
Syrian Communist Party	4
Socialist Unionists	2
Socialist Union Party	2
Haraka al-'ahd al-waTani	1

Members elected, by sex

Number of men elected: 217
Number of women elected: 33
Percentage of women elected: 13.2%
Women Directly Elected: 33
Other notes on the elections: Timing of election: Upon normal expiry. The four-year term of the outgoing legislature started on 24 May 2012. Elections needed to be held between 24 March and 24 May 2016 in accordance with article 62 of the Constitution.
Sources: People's Assembly (30.05.2016, 13.07.2017)

Syrian Arab News Agency

France 24

Centre for Research on Globalization

New legislature

Total number of men after the election: 217
Total number of women after the election: 33
Percentage of women after the election: 13.2%
First-term parliamentarians: No information available
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians: No information available
Date of the first session: 06 Jun 2016

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature: Hadiyeh Khalaf Abbas (Female)