Damascus (Arabic: دمشق) was an electoral district used to elect members of the Syrian People's Assembly between 1973 and 2025.
Electoral system
The electoral system used to elect the People's Assembly was introduced in 1973 and remained in use until the assembly's dissolution in 2025. Each governorate formed a single, large electoral district, except for Aleppo Governorate, which was divided into two districts: the city of Aleppo and the rural districts of Aleppo Governorate. Within each district, seats were awarded on a block-vote basis, with the candidates receiving the largest number of votes taking all of the seats allocated to it, and the assembly was composed of representatives of two sectors, "workers and peasants" and "other sectors of the people", with the former guaranteed at least half of its seats nationally. The number of seats, and their distribution among districts, was left to the president of the republic to set by decree rather than being fixed in law; the total was raised from 186 to 195 in 1981 and from 195 to 250 in 1990, after which the distribution among the fifteen electoral districts was not changed.
All Syrian citizens aged 18 and over were entitled to vote, other than those under legal guardianship, those with a mental illness affecting their legal capacity, and those convicted of a felony or a "dishonourable" misdemeanour, while serving members of the armed forces and police were barred from voting and from standing as candidates; candidates were further required to be at least 25 years old and to have held Syrian nationality for at least five years, a period raised to ten under the 2011 and 2014 electoral laws. During the 2011 reform of the electoral law, the replacement of this system was discussed because of its weak representativeness, but the large-district, block-vote system was retained; the reform instead moved the administration of elections from the Ministry of Interior and provincial governors to an independent Supreme Judicial Committee for Elections, a structure carried over into a further law passed in 2014 that consolidated the rules for presidential, parliamentary and local-council elections into a single statute.
Beyond being considered unrepresentative — a majoritarian, large-district system of a kind rejected by most electoral systems worldwide — the system has also been criticised for the unevenness of its distribution of seats between governorates. Based on the number of registered voters at the 2012 election, the average was around 59,000 voters per seat nationally, but the ratio varied considerably: about 37,800 voters per seat in Damascus and 51,500 in Tartus, compared with 71,700 in Al-Hasakah and 69,500 in the rural districts of Aleppo Governorate, with no mechanism beyond a presidential decree governing the size of constituencies or the allocation of seats between them.
Members + Elections MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) MPA(Party) 1973 rowspan="3" Mahmoud Hadid(Ba'ath) Maamun al-Khayyat(N/A) Muhammad Said al-Hamawi(N/A) Muhammad Sayyah al-Suruji(N/A) Muhammad Arabi Sahyun(N/A) Mahmoud Bakri Aloussi(N/A) Haydar Mardini(N/A) Youssef Nimr(N/A) rowspan="2" Mahmoud al-Ayyubi(Ba'ath) Muhammad Marwan Sheikho(N/A) rowspan="3" Muhammad Ali al-Halabi(Ba'ath) Muhammad Zuhayr al-Awa(N/A) Hajar Sadiq(N/A) Anwar Kamil(N/A) Muhammad Adnan Kilani(N/A) Riyad al-Abid(N/A) Hasan Jumaa(N/A) Tahsin al-Safadi(N/A) Ghassan Shalhub(N/A) rowspan="2" Khalid Bakdash(SCP) Hani al-Rumani(N/A) Jurji al-Khoury(N/A) 22 seats 1974 Youssef Kamil(N/A) Yassin Astah(N/A) 1977 Muhammad Thabit Muhayni(N/A) Muhammad Hisham al-Sati(N/A) Abd al-Razzaq Aqbiq(N/A) Mahmoud Salama(N/A) Ibrahim Bakkari(N/A) Khaldoun al-Maleh(N/A) Muhammad al-Amadi(N/A) Zuhair Urabi(N/A) Rida Esfahani(N/A) Youssef Khoury(N/A) Muhammad Saleha(N/A) Muhammad Hadi Aqbiq(N/A) Safwan al-Qudsi(ASUP) 1981 Yassin Atika(N/A) Yassin Otabashi(N/A) Ali al-Turkmeni(N/A) Muhammad al-Buzum(N/A) Rajab Izzo al-Baba(N/A) Abdo Tama(N/A) Ahmad Aladdin Abidin(N/A) rowspan="7" Abd al-Qadir Qaddura(Ba'ath) Nur al-Din Habbal(N/A) Hanan Najmeh(N/A) Hajar Sadiq(N/A) Ferial Muhayni(N/A) Muhammad Samih Skaff(N/A) Muhammad Shakir Asaid(N/A) Hani al-Rumani(N/A) Muhammad Hilal al-Saudi(N/A) 1986 Farouk Thuraya(N/A) Hajar Sadiq(N/A) Muhammad Munir Rihawi(N/A) Muhammad Khair Halabi(N/A) Nasr al-Din al-Bahra(N/A) Muhammad Adib al-Khatib(N/A) Wissal Farha(N/A) Muhammad Abu al-Khair Abidin(N/A) Mahmoud Jabr(N/A) Muhammad Zuhair al-Awa(N/A) Muhammad Siyah al-Sarouji(N/A) 1990 Muhammad Misbah Baghdadi(N/A) Bashira Tawakkalna(N/A) Ahmad Haidar(N/A) Mahmoud Salama(N/A) Basil Dahdouh(N/A) Muhammad Amin Abu al-Shamat(N/A) Ahmad al-Ghafri(N/A) Elias Najmeh(N/A) Muhammad Fuad al-Asha(N/A) Abdallah Talaba(N/A) Amal Dakkak(N/A) Badi Fallaheh(N/A) rowspan="7" Baha al-Din al-Hassan(Ind.) Muhammad Ihsan Sanqar(N/A) Mahmoud Alousi(N/A) Muhammad Mamoun al-Homsi(N/A) Muhyi al-Din Jumaa(N/A) Muhammad Zuhair al-Awa(N/A) rowspan="3" Colette Khoury(Ind.) 1994 Najwa Qassab Hassan(N/A) rowspan="6" Nabil Dawoud(Ind.) Muhammad Yasser Nahlawi(N/A) Misbah Ghaiba(N/A) Muhammad Fathi Qanawati(N/A) Mahmoud Qassouma(N/A) Jalal al-Din Idlibi(N/A) Muhammad Adnan al-Khatib(N/A) rowspan="3" Riad Seif(Ind.) rowspan="6" Hashem al-Aqqad(Ind.) Basil Hamwi(N/A) rowspan="6" Adnan al-Dakhakhni(Ind.) 1996 Akram al-Khoury(N/A) 1998 Mahmoud Zaatariya(N/A) Mahasin al-Waraa(N/A) Muhammad Raafat al-Kurdi(N/A) Muhammad Yasser Nahlawi(N/A) Maha Qunout(N/A) Ahmad Sameer al-Nouri(N/A) rowspan="3" Huda al-Homsi(Ba'ath) Muhammad Issam al-Jammal(N/A) Muhammad Bashar al-Shami(N/A) Munther Mousalli(N/A) Mahmoud Sheikh al-Shabab(N/A) Abd al-Wahhab Rashwani(N/A) Muhammad Aref Hannano(N/A) Muhyi al-Din al-Habboush(N/A) Hassan al-Nouri(N/A)2003 rowspan="3" Suleiman Haddad(Ba'ath) Amira Urabi(N/A) Muhammad Khaled Najati(N/A) rowspan="3" Huda Mleihi(Ba'ath) rowspan="6" Muhammad Ammar Saati(Ba'ath) rowspan="3" Muhammad al-Habash(Ind.) rowspan="3" Ghalib Aneez(Ind.) rowspan="3" Muhammad Farouk Abu al-Shamat(Ba'ath) Muhammad al-Hallaq(N/A) Mai al-Muhaini(N/A) rowspan="6" Haneen Nimr(SCP-B) rowspan="3" Marwan al-Bunni(SUP) Zakaria Mir Alam(N/A) rowspan="11" Ammar Bakdash(SCP-B) rowspan="3" Mahmoud al-Abrash(Ba'ath) rowspan="8" Muhammad Hamsho(Ind.) rowspan="3" Muhammad Zaher Daabul(Ind.) rowspan="3" Joseph Sweid(SSNP) Ghassan al-Nahhas(N/A) rowspan="3" Muhammad Radwan al-Masri(Ind.)2007 rowspan="2" Munther Karkoutly(Ba'ath) rowspan="10" Atif al-Zaybaq(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Rama Aziz(Ind.) rowspan="2" Abd al-Salam Rajeh(Ind.) rowspan="2" Muhammad Zuhair Taghlabi(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Hazar al-Daqar(Ba'ath) Muhammad Nabil al-Khatib(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Muhammad Sabah al-Ubayd(Ind.) rowspan="10" Samer al-Dibs(Ind.) rowspan="2" Amer al-Homsi(Ind.) 2009 rowspan="4" Majda Qteit(Ba'ath) Salah al-Din al-Sadat(Ba'ath)2012 rowspan="3" Jamal al-Qadri(Ba'ath) rowspan="8" Muhammad Izzat Arabi Katbi(Ba'ath) rowspan="5" Mona Sukkar(Ba'ath) Wafaa Khalifah(Ba'ath) rowspan="3" Sharif Shehadeh(Ind.) rowspan="5" Omar Oussi(Ind.) rowspan="11" Muhammad Akram al-Ajlani(Ind.) rowspan="3" Najm al-Din Shamdin(SSNP) rowspan="2" Qadri Jamil(PWP) rowspan="3" Khalil Mashhadia(Ba'ath) rowspan="3" Fayez al-Sayegh(Ba'ath) rowspan="4" Muhammad Jihad al-Laham(Ba'ath) rowspan="3" Muhammad Sobhi Abu al-Shamat(Ba'ath) rowspan="3" Muhammad Amer al-Qabbani(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Nader Baira(Ba'ath) rowspan="3" Hazar al-Daqr(Ba'ath) rowspan="3" Khaled al-Abboud(SUP) rowspan="3" Ahmad Kazbari(Until 2012: Ind.From 2012: Ba'ath) rowspan="3" Ahmed Nour al-Din Shallash(Ind.) rowspan="3" Maria Saadeh(Ind.) rowspan="3" Wa'el al-Ghabra(Ind.) rowspan="3" Youssef Asaad(Ind.) 2014 rowspan="4" Maha Shbero(Ba'ath) 2015 rowspan="3" Tarif Qutrash(Ind.) Sameer al-Jazaerli(Ba'ath)2016 rowspan="2" Abbas Sandouq(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Ahd al-Kanj(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Samer al-Ayyubi(Ind.) rowspan="2" Farah Hamsho(Ind.) rowspan="5" Sameer Hajjar(SSNP) rowspan="2" Hassib Tahhan(Ba'ath) rowspan="5" Aref al-Tawil(Ba'ath) rowspan="5" Mary al-Bitar(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Muhammad Bashir al-Shurbaji(Ba'ath) rowspan="5" Muhammad Khair al-Akkam(Ba'ath) rowspan="5" Nabil Toumeh(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Anas Zuray(Ind.) rowspan="2" Khalil Taameh(Ind.) rowspan="5" rowspan="2" Muhammad Maher al-Bustani(Ind.) rowspan="2" Muhammad Humam Masouti(Ind.) rowspan="3" Noura Arisian(Ind.) rowspan="2" Hadi Sharaf(Ind.) 2018 Maan Ghanim(Ba'ath)2020 rowspan="5" Muhammad Hadi Mashhadiyah(Ba'ath) rowspan="3" Bushra Zurayqa(Ba'ath) rowspan="3" Nidal Muhanna(Ba'ath) rowspan="3" Muhammad Manaf al-Aqqad(Ba'ath) rowspan="5" Nuha Mahayri(Ind.) rowspan="3" Samer al-Ayyoubi(Ind.) rowspan="3" Muhammad Khaled al-Shuweiki(Ind.) rowspan="5" Elias Shahoud(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Basima Shater(Ba'ath) rowspan="3" Muhammad Zuheir Tinawi(Ba'ath) rowspan="3" Muhammad Ghazwan al-Masri(Ba'ath) rowspan="3" Muhammad Humam Masouti(Ind.) rowspan="5" Bilal al-Naal(Ind.) rowspan="3" Abd al-Rahman al-Jaafari(Ind.) rowspan="5" Jamil Murad(Ind.) rowspan="3" Abd al-Rahman al-Masri(Ind.) rowspan="3" Abd al-Rahman Urabi(Ind.) 2022 rowspan="2" Ruba Mirza(Ind.) 2023 Muhammad Nabil al-Homsi(Ba'ath)2024 rowspan="2" Ahd al-Kanj(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Raedah Waqaf(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Firas al-Azab(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Ahmad al-Issa(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Nabil Dawoud(Ind.) rowspan="2" Muhammad Thaer al-Johari(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Ghaleb Aniz(Ind.) rowspan="2" Sameer al-Jazaerli(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Alaa Zaza(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Anwar al-Zeer(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Inas Zarzoor(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Khalil Wannous(Ba'ath) Muhammad Khaled Zbeidi(Ba'ath) rowspan="2" Raed al-Aqqad(DSUP) rowspan="2" Elias al-Munayyir(SCP-U) Anas al-Khatib(Ba'ath) Muhammad Hamsho(Ind.) rowspan="2" Fahd Mahmoud(Ind.) rowspan="2" Muhammad Nadhir al-Haffar(Ind.) rowspan="2" Muhammad Omar al-Kheimi(Ind.) rowspan="2" Muhammad Mazen Hassan(Ind.) rowspan="2" Bashar al-Khani(Ind.) rowspan="2" Heba Khodra(Ind.) 2024 Vacant Vacant Vacant
Notes
References