DAMASCUS — Syrian authorities extended voting hours in Damascus and several major cities on Sunday during the country’s first parliamentary elections since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

“Voting has been extended in Damascus and major cities in some provinces, while polling has ended in rural Damascus and several other centers,” Mohammed Al-Ahmad, head of Syria’s Supreme Committee for People’s Assembly Elections, told state media.

He said the process was “progressing smoothly,” adding that Syrians were “proud to witness their first real experience in choosing representatives for the People’s Assembly.”

President Ahmad Al-Sharaa arrived at the National Library polling center in Damascus to observe the electoral process, local media reported.

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) and public broadcaster Al-Ikhbariya, 1,578 candidates are contesting 210 seats in the People’s Assembly, with women accounting for 14% of the candidates.

One-third of the seats are appointed directly by the president, while the remaining two-thirds are filled through elections by designated “electoral bodies” in each district.

Observers from diplomatic missions and accredited ambassadors monitored the process at the National Library center.

Election Committee spokesperson Nawar Najma said polling, initially set to close at 12 p.m. local time (0900GMT), could be extended until 4 p.m. (1300GMT) to accommodate all eligible voters.

Final results are expected to be announced at a press conference on Monday or Tuesday.

Since Assad’s ouster in late 2024, Syria’s new government has focused on political and economic reforms, promoting social cohesion, and expanding regional and international cooperation.

Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia last December, ending the Baath Party regime that had governed since 1963. Sharaa’s transitional administration was formed in January. — Agencies