Tight security measures overshadowed the first session of Syria’s People’s Assembly in Damascus on Sunday, July 12. A security alert had been declared in the capital before the session, while security concerns prevented officials from announcing its date in advance. The proceedings began in the presence of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Mohammad Taha al-Ahmad, head of the Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections, and assembly members.
Areas surrounding the People’s Assembly building in the al-Salihiyah district of Damascus saw a heavy security deployment. Roads leading to the assembly were closed, and inspections at the entrances were tightened, according to Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Damascus.
Enab Baladi’s correspondent said roads surrounding the assembly building in al-Salihiyah were closed amid a heavy security presence. He added that security personnel prevented him from entering the vicinity of the People’s Assembly while he was attempting to reach the area to cover the session.
The correspondent explained that security checkpoints deployed across the area had lists containing the names of people authorized to pass toward the People’s Assembly building and the surrounding area. The measure was part of arrangements to regulate entry and exit during the assembly’s first session.
An administrative employee at the People’s Assembly told Enab Baladi that staff members had received security instructions related to the session’s timing. He said they had not been authorized to confirm when the session would be held because of the “security concerns” surrounding it.
The security measures came days after explosions struck Damascus on July 7, coinciding with French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the capital. The incident led authorities to raise the level of security preparations ahead of the People’s Assembly session.
Date Not Announced in Advance
No official advance announcement was issued regarding the date of the first session, despite its earlier postponement. The official announcement was limited to a post published by the Syrian Arab News Agency, SANA, at around 1 p.m., reporting that assembly members had begun arriving at the building in Damascus.
Rumors circulated before the session that President Ahmed al-Sharaa might not attend. He later appeared in the assembly hall and delivered an address during the first session.
Security considerations were clearly reflected in the session’s details and initial procedures. Several organizational steps were shortened, beginning with members taking the constitutional oath collectively and followed by the rapid election of an interim leadership for the assembly.
Mohammad Taha al-Ahmad, head of the Higher Committee for People’s Assembly Elections, said in his opening remarks that the oath would be taken collectively “to preserve the security of the session.”
Assembly members then took the constitutional oath collectively, followed by a brief address from President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The proceedings then moved to the organizational measures required to form the assembly’s leadership.
Initial Procedures Shortened
During the session, lawmaker Osama al-Assaf was appointed interim speaker of the People’s Assembly as the oldest member, while lawmaker Mohammad Muhyi was appointed secretary.
Al-Assaf called on members of the temporary legal committee to supervise the electoral process, count the votes, and establish the rules governing the election of the assembly’s presidential bureau.
The temporary legal committee included lawmakers Ahmed al-Omar, Wissam Zaghloul, and Bishr Hawi.
Following these procedures, the session was suspended for half an hour before the assembly was due to resume its agenda. The remaining items included electing the speaker, two deputy speakers, and members of the bureau, as well as forming parliamentary committees.
First Legislative Session Since Assad’s Fall
The session followed the completion of the People’s Assembly’s formation under Decree No. 143 of 2026, which named the members of the new assembly, including the final one-third of its membership.
The assembly has 210 members. The meeting was the first session of a legislative authority in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. It took place during the transitional period established by the constitutional declaration, which defines the assembly’s powers until a permanent constitution is adopted and new legislative elections are held.
The assembly’s agenda included electing its speaker, two deputies, and bureau members, in addition to forming parliamentary committees, in preparation for beginning its legislative and oversight duties.
Despite the session’s historic nature, security measures remained present throughout its proceedings. These included withholding its date from advance announcement, deploying security forces extensively around the building, restricting access to the area, and shortening some of the initial procedures amid continuing security concerns in the capital.
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