Syria’s new parliament holds first session since Assad’s ouster

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Syria's newly elected parliament held its first session since the ouster of former President Bashar Assad on Sunday, hoping to restart the legislative process in the country after years of conflict and autocratic rule.

Two-thirds of the 210-member People's Assembly were elected through electoral colleges, while one-third were appointed directly by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The new parliament will serve a 30-month term while preparing for future elections.

The launch of parliament indicates that the country is moving ahead with drafting new laws as it recovers from decades of brutal rule under the Assad family and a deadly war that killed about half a million people.

"After liberating our homeland and regaining our freedom, we are all moving toward consolidating the state," al-Sharaa said in an address to parliamentarians.

After taking an oath, the legislators elected Abdul Hamid al-Awak as speaker. Al-Awak, who is from northeastern Hassakeh province, served as a judge in the Justice Ministry for a decade, according to Syria's state-run SANA news agency. Reports said he was among many Syrian officials who defected from the Assad government in the early days of the uprising and left to Turkey.