At stake in this Referendum:

• A referendum to approve a new constitution.

Description of government structure:

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

Description of electoral system:

• The President is approved by popular referendum to serve a 7-year term.
• The 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.***

*** Only parties that belong to the National Progressive Front ( لجبهة الوطنية التقدمية‎, al-Jabha al-Wataniyyah at-Taqaddumiyyah, NPF) may run in elections. Electors select one list from among a series of lists of parliamentary candidates. Two thirds of the candidates on each list are from the NPF. The rest of the seats are allocated for independent candidates. 51 percent of all elected members must be workers or farmers.

Main provisions in the Referendum:

• A provision to approve a new constitution. Among other things, the new constitution will caps presidents to two seven-year terms.

Population and number of registered voters:

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

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 2007 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: 2,897,212 (est.)