Syria to establish new parliament, testing inclusivity pledge

Syria is preparing to establish the first parliament since Bashar al-Assad was toppled, a milestone in the transition from his rule but one that has stirred new concerns about political inclusivity under President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Regional committees have selected electoral colleges that will elect two-thirds of the 210-member People's Assembly, on Oct 5. Sharaa appoints the remaining third. The authorities say they resorted to this system rather than universal suffrage due to a lack of reliable population data and displacement after years of war. The process is unfolding as Sharaa tries to consolidate his hold over a fractured nation, with suspicion of his Sunni Islamist-led administration running deep among minority Kurds, Druze and Alawites. The process is run by an...