When the People's Assembly of Syria (parliament) was formed, Syrians were told its function would not be symbolic. They were told that MPs would review existing laws and draft new ones to meet the needs of a new phase. It was supposed to be a full-time job. Yet after all that was said about its role, the body has very little to show for it.
The assembly’s first session was expected to take place in early September 2025, but was later pushed back to October, and further delays and postponements followed for nearly a year. There may well have been valid reasons for the delays, but the public was largely left without a clear explanation as to why the original timetable was not adhered to.
Instead, Syrians were given a series of conflicting explanations—from waiting for a final resolution to the issue of the Syrian Democratic Forces to claims that members were waiting for renovations to the parliament building to be completed before they could convene.
These explanations hardly merited postponing the critical work that needed to be done to address the pressing issues Syrians face today. For many in the country, time was of the essence, and they did not have the luxury of waiting for building renovations.
