At stake in this election:

• 250 seats in the People's Council (Majlis al-Shaab)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Bashar al-ASAD *
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Riyad Farid HIJAB
• Assembly: Syria has a unicameral People's Council (Majlis al-Shaab) with 250 seats.

* According the new Constitution, candidates must the written support of at least 35 members of People’s Assembly. Article 85, section 5 states that If during this period only one candidate is determined to have met the requirements for Presidential candidates, the Speaker of the House shall re-open the call for presidential candidates in accordance with the same criteria.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 7-year term.
• Prime Minister is appointed by the President.
• In the People's Council (Majlis al-Shaab) 250 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms.***

*** Under the new constitution (ratified through referendum on February 26, 2012) multiple parties are allowed to run. Previously, only parties that belonged to the National Progressive Front ( لجبهة الوطنية التقدمية‎, al-Jabha al-Wataniyyah at-Taqaddumiyyah, NPF) could run in elections. Article 60 of the Constitution states that at least half of the members of the assembly should be workers and farmers, as defined by law.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Alliance: National Progressive Front / الجبهة الوطنية التقدمية‎, al-Jabha al-Wataniyyah at-Taqaddumiyyah
  • Leader: Bashar Al-ASSAD
  • Seats won in last election: 169
• Alliance: Popular Front for Change and Liberation
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Independent(s): Independents
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: 81

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 22,530,746 (July 2012 )
• Registered Voters: 14,580,000 (February 2012 Approx.)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 9,877,309 (2012)

·         Is Syria a signatory to CEDAW: No

·         Has Syria ratified CEDAW: Yes, accession (28 March 2003)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 30 (following the 2012 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 134 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very High (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Syria a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Syria ratified CRPD: Yes (10 July 2009)

·         Population with a disability: 3,379,611 (est.)