Syria will hold elections for a new People’s Assembly on October 5, the state-run SANA news agency reported Monday, marking the first parliamentary vote since the ousting of long-time President Bashar al-Assad late last year.

The elections, taking place across all electoral districts, represent a key step for the new government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa as it attempts to rebuild state institutions and establish its legitimacy. This effort is set against a backdrop of regional and international initiatives aimed at stabilizing the country after nearly 14 years of civil war.

According to the electoral framework, one-third of the assembly's 210 seats will be directly appointed by President al-Sharaa. The remaining seats will be filled through a vote managed by local committees under the supervision of the nation's electoral commission. The incoming parliament is expected to be tasked with legislating economic reforms to ease decades of state control and ratifying treaties that could redefine Syria’s foreign relations.

SANA reported that the new assembly is intended to lay the groundwork for a broader democratic process. However, critics have already raised concerns, arguing that the electoral system fails to adequately represent Syria’s marginalized communities.

The vote, initially scheduled for September, was delayed in several provinces, including Suwayda, Hasakah, and Raqqa, due to ongoing security concerns. Suwayda witnessed clashes in July between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin tribes, while parts of Hasakah and Raqqa remain under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.

Earlier this year, al-Sharaa’s administration issued a constitutional declaration to guide the interim period. The document preserves a central role for Islamic law while guaranteeing women’s rights and freedom of expression, though opponents contend it concentrates excessive power in the executive leadership.

The announcement of the elections comes as President al-Sharaa arrived in New York on Sunday to attend the United Nations General Assembly, becoming the first Syrian head of state to do so in nearly 60 years. The last Syrian leader to appear at the UN was in 1967, years before the Assad family’s five-decade rule began.

Since taking power, al-Sharaa has worked to repair ties with Arab states and Western governments, which were initially wary of his past leadership of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group once designated a terrorist organisation by the United States. He has adopted a platform of national coexistence and pledged to protect minority communities, despite recent reports of sectarian violence threatening Syria’s fragile recovery.

A key focus of his visit to New York is expected to be the pursuit of further sanctions relief. Syria’s war-ravaged economy remains under significant strain. While U.S. President Donald Trump met with al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia in May and lifted decades-old sanctions imposed under Assad, the most stringent restrictions remain under the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which can only be repealed by the U.S. Congress.