The Jerusalem Post reports: “Syria will hold an indirect vote on Sunday to establish its first parliament since Bashar al-Assad was ousted, a key step in the transition from his rule but one that has stirred concerns about political inclusivity under the country’s new leaders.

The process is unfolding as President Ahmed al-Sharaa tries to consolidate his hold over a nation fractured by 14 years of war and recent bouts of sectarian violence that have fueled suspicion of his Islamist-led administration among minorities.

The election is an indirect one, with regional electoral colleges, made up of a combined 6,000 electors, set to pick two-thirds of the 210-seat parliament. A committee appointed by Sharaa has approved 1,570 candidates.

Sharaa, a former Al Qaeda fighter whose rebel forces toppled Assad in December, will then select the remaining third of the seats.

The authorities say they resorted to this system rather than universal suffrage due to a lack of reliable population data and following the displacement of millions of Syrians by the war…”