The Supreme Committee for the People's Assembly Elections announced the official launch of its work on Tuesday during a press conference held in Damascus, the first since its formation after the fall of the Assad regime.
Committee Chairman Mohammed Taha al-Ahmad said that the committee does not claim to be organizing "traditional elections," but rather is following a path imposed by "the reality of the transitional phase and national responsibility," as he put it.
Al-Ahmad indicated that the committee is working to draft a temporary electoral system that guarantees "representation without exclusion," while achieving a balance between "competence" and "community representation." He explained that qualified candidates will constitute 70% of the People's Assembly members, while notables and dignitaries will constitute 30%.
For his part, the committee's media spokesperson, Nawar Najma, revealed the commencement of field visits in Damascus to listen to citizens' demands regarding the selection of council members. Najma confirmed that the committee is working to formulate a "preliminary vision" for drafting its temporary bylaws.
He added that the committee is keen to ensure that candidates possess "good conduct and behavior," emphasizing the focus on competencies, and noting that the eligibility criteria "will be issued later."
The committee chairman emphasized that the goal of the committee's work is to establish a People's Assembly "that represents Syria and all Syrians from all walks of life." He explained that the committee hopes to hold elections in all governorates. If access to the eastern regions is not possible, "notables and dignitaries will be invited to study ways to form electoral subcommittees."
Al-Ahmad indicated that the broad public meetings will allow citizens to "express themselves and their desire to run," while the media spokesman expected that the country would have a new People's Assembly within 60 to 90 days.
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