The Syrian People's Council entered the one-month deadline for preparing its internal regulations, laws, and selecting its permanent committees to organize administrative work during its 30-month legislative term, amid assertions of major amendments and changes in the permanent committees, by abolishing some and establishing others to align with the transitional phase the country is undergoing, but these amendments will be based on the old system: modifying it, adding to it, or deleting from it.

After the first session on July 12 of this month, which completed its work with the members meeting, taking the oath, and electing the executive office, the council decided to adjourn until July 26 of this month, pending the completion of drafting the 'internal regulations draft' by the assigned committee, to be followed by a vote by members and amendments, before proceeding to complete the building of its internal structures for the start of its legislative work.

Article 29 of the Syrian Constitutional Declaration sets the timeframe for preparing the internal procedures that regulate the council's work, stating that 'the People's Council shall prepare its internal regulations within one month from its first session.'

Organizing the internal house

With the election of the parliament speaker and his office consisting of two deputies and a secretary, People's Council member Bishr Hawi speaks about the formation of the team tasked with preparing the internal regulations, which will determine the council's path and procedures, its convening, elections, membership vacancies, organizational structure, session system, legislative and political parliamentary procedures, oversight means, membership affairs, and general provisions.

People's Council member Bishr Hawi during a dialogue symposium in the city of Aleppo (archival)

Hawi explains that 'during the long waiting period, from the election of members through electoral committees, which lasted about 9 months until the first session, some legal members used the time to draft an initial version of the internal regulations to avoid further waste of time and to utilize it technically and practically. Work has already begun on selecting members of the assigned committee, which will include members who worked on the draft and new ones, to prepare the final version.'

The Syrian deputy explains that 'the committee' being formed may consist of 7 to 9 members, often including knowledgeable legal experts, and will rely heavily on the 'members' draft', which drew on many references, as well as experiences gained from training workshops, and benefiting from the advice and experiences of deputies and advanced Arab councils.

It is not ruled out to rely on the previous internal regulations of the Syrian parliament, with new amendments and the cancellation of laws, 'but it remains an existing internal system with positives, in addition to the possibility of relying on Arab internal systems, foremost among them the Jordanian parliament, as the Jordanian experience and its parliament are similar to Syria.'

Members of the Syrian People's Council arriving to attend its opening session on Sunday, July 12, 2026 (AP)

Establishing committees and abolishing others

After completing these matters, the process moves to the stage of selecting parliamentary committees specialized in monitoring the work of ministries, state institutions, and the executive authority, and determining the members, number, and tasks of the committees, and finally selection through an internal election system.

According to many members of the Syrian People's Council contacted by Asharq Al-Awsat, expectations are that committees will be reduced and abolished, and others established, to keep pace with the current transitional phase and the general situation of post-war Syria.

Hawi speaks of the existence of fixed committees in all parliaments that cannot be tampered with, such as the 'Constitutional Affairs Committee' and the 'Arab and Foreign Affairs Committee', along with 'Economic Committees', while work is underway to establish committees specialized in the Syrian context, foremost among them the 'Transitional Justice and Accountability Committee', and the possibility of establishing a 'Civil Peace Committee'.

'These steps are necessary; as they constitute a foundation for the legitimacy of the current People's Council and what it produces, and for organizing its path and work,' Hawi emphasizes, adding: 'When completed, the council will be ready to move to the stage of legislative work and the parliament exercising its authority.'

Deputies take the collective oath in the first session that inaugurated the Syrian People's Council (Presidency account)

Since the adoption of the Syrian constitution in 1973, which granted the People's Council the powers to prepare its internal regulations and form its permanent committees at the beginning of each legislative term, the internal regulations maintained the tradition of having 12 permanent committees with diverse competencies ranging from legislative, oversight, political, service, and financial aspects. In 2017, minor amendments were made to the internal regulations, with changes to some names, while maintaining the powers of these committees.

These committees operate by the council speaker referring draft laws to the specialized committees for study, and they consult the minister in charge or representatives of government entities in the process of approving new items or amending others, before submitting the special report to the general session for a vote on the decision after listening to the committee's recommendations.

Syrian lawmakers attend the first session of the People's Council in Damascus on July 12, 2026 (EPA)

The committees include the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee, specialized in studying the constitutionality of draft laws and drafting them; the Arab and Foreign Affairs Committee, which follows up on international agreements and foreign policy; and the National Security Committee, specialized in defense and national security issues. In addition to the Financial Laws Committee for tax, financial, and customs legislation; the Budget and Accounts Committee for discussing the draft general budget and auditing accounts; the Guidance and Orientation Committee; the Planning and Production Committee; the Services Committee; the Interior and Local Administration Committee; in addition to the Complaints and Oversight Committee; the Agriculture and Irrigation Committee; and finally the Environment and Population Activity Committee.

In the 2017 amendment to the internal regulations, new committees were established, such as the Public Freedoms and Human Rights Committee, the National Reconciliation Committee, and the Martyrs and War Victims Committee.

Completing tasks before the specified deadline

Despite the assumed long period for organizing the new parliamentary house, many Syrian politicians and observers consider the long-awaited first session the most important, and that it is an entry point for the new Syria, and a declaration of the completion of the state's quorum with its three authorities: the executive represented by the government, the judiciary, and the legislative represented by the parliament, expecting that the duration of organizational procedures will not be long given the great enthusiasm shown by deputies for the council to begin its work.

This is also affirmed by Syrian People's Council member Aqil Hussein, who expects the completion of the 'internal regulations draft' with the session on July 26 of this month, and 'with it, the form and number of committees will be determined... and even the vote on forming many of them during the session,' adding that 'the session is expected to carry many organizational tasks and duties for council members.'