DAMASCUS, SYRIA - OCT. 5, 2025: Voting concluded in Damascus on Sunday, Oct. 5, as Syrians cast their ballots to elect representatives to the newly restructured People’s Assembly, marking a key moment in the country’s ongoing political transition. Some regions continue to vote, even as polling wraps up in major cities. Syria officially began elections for its People’s Assembly on Sunday, marking the first parliamentary vote since the collapse of the previous regime. The Syrian news agency SANA reported that accredited electoral centers across the provinces opened their doors to begin the voting process and receive members of the electoral bodies to cast their ballots, marking the start of the first parliamentary election process in Syria. Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa received the final draft of the temporary electoral law for the parliament in late July and approved it with a decree on Aug. 27. The decree laid down the conditions for the electoral process, eligibility for membership in the People's Assembly and associated committees, and voting procedures. The Assembly has 210 seats, one-third of which are appointed directly by the president, and the remaining two-thirds are elected using this mechanism, which officials say is temporary and related to current circumstances. Since Assad's ouster in late 2024, Syria's new government has pursued political and economic reforms while promoting social cohesion and expanding cooperation with regional and international partners. Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia last December, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963. Sharaa’s new transitional administration was formed in January.