The final pieces of Syria’s post-Assad jigsaw are falling into place. The president, in a move that signals both consolidation and uncertainty, has appointed the last 70 members to the transitional parliament. This is not a routine reshuffle. This is a power play in a country still scarred by civil war and haunted by the ghost of its former leader.
A senior western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the appointments as ‘a delicate balancing act between loyalty and competence.’ The list, leaked to this bureau, is a mosaic of old regime technocrats, carefully vetted independents, and a handful of opposition figures who have signed up to the new order. Missing are the hardline revolutionary factions. That is a snub that will not go unnoticed in Idlib.
The maths of this parliament are brutal. The president needs to build a working majority from a chamber where trust is in short supply. Faction loyalties are still raw. The economy is in tatters. And the international community is watching with one eye on the exits.
A former minister, now in the diplomatic wilderness, told me: ‘This is a government of national unity in name only. The real power still lies with the security services. The president is trying to put a democratic gloss on authoritarian continuity.’
The official line from the palace is more optimistic. The president’s spokesman described the appointments as ‘the final step in building a representative body for all Syrians.’ He stressed that elections would follow within 18 months. But here in Westminster, veterans of the Arab Spring know that transitional promises often fade into dusty permanence.
Backbench unease in London is growing. A cross-party group of MPs is pushing for a UN-led monitoring mission to ensure the new parliament does not become another rubber stamp. The Foreign Office is non-committal. The US is distracted. And in Damascus, the president is gambling that time is on his side.
What matters now is not just who is in the chamber but who is left outside. The excluded factions have a history of turning to violence. The security forces are on high alert. Sporadic attacks have already begun.
This is a fragile transition. The coming weeks will test whether this parliament can legislate for peace or merely paper over the cracks of a broken state. The game is far from over.
