Syria's new parliament holds first session after Assad's ouster

Syria's newly elected parliament held its first session on Sunday since the ouster of former President Bashar Assad, marking a key step towards restoring the country's legislative process after years of conflict and authoritarian rule.

The inaugural session signals Syria's efforts to resume lawmaking as it seeks to recover from decades of Assad family rule and a civil war that claimed about half a million lives.

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

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

Following the swearing-in ceremony, legislators elected Abdul Hamid al-Awak as speaker of parliament.

Al-Awak, from the northeastern province of Hassakeh, served as a judge in Syria's Justice Ministry for a decade, according to the state-run SANA news agency. Reports said he was among a number of Syrian officials who defected from the Assad government during the early stages of the uprising and later fled to Turkey.