Syria's First Post-Assad Parliament Set to Convene Following Northeast Elections and SDF Integration

Syria's first post-Assad parliament is set to convene in June 2026 following the certification of by-elections held on May 24 in Hasakah Governorate and Ayn al-Arab (Kobani) — the final 11 seats in Syria's first post-Assad parliamentary chamber. The elections in the Kurdish-majority northeast were made possible by a January 30, 2026 agreement under which the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) ceded control of the area to the transitional government following January clashes. Syria Weekly (Charles Lister) reported in late May that parliament-related milestones were advancing: SDF prisoners were released, public sector salaries were increased in formerly SDF-administered areas, and Ahmad al-Sharaa resolved wheat price unrest that had threatened stability. The Syrian military's participation in Turkey's EFES-2026 NATO-partner exercise near Izmir — the first time Syria's reconstituted army has exercised outside Syrian territory — marked a further milestone in the army's international normalization. Syria's first post-Assad legislature will include diverse representation: Islamist factions, Kurdish parties, Arab tribal representatives, and independents — reflecting the pluralist framework al-Sharaa committed to in the transitional constitutional declaration. The parliament's convening is a prerequisite for the formal constitutional drafting process expected to begin in late 2026, which will determine Syria's long-term governance structure.