First results for Syria's new parliament show low share for minorities, women

"Among the most significant shortcomings of the electoral process were the unsatisfactory results for Syrian women's representation, and the fact that Christian representation was limited to two seats, a weak representation relative to the number of Christians in Syria," he said. The authorities say they resorted to an indirect system rather than universal suffrage due to a lack of reliable population data following the war, which killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians and displaced millions. Citing security and political reasons, authorities postponed the vote in areas outside government control, including Kurdish-held parts of Syria's north and northeast, as well as the province of Sweida, held by the Druze minority.