Syria's new parliament convened for the first time on Sunday, 19 months after rebels led by ‌President Ahmed al-Sharaa toppled Bashar al-Assad, a milestone in the country's political transition despite the chamber's current limited powers.

Axar.az reports, citing Reuters, Sharaa, in a speech at parliament in Damascus, told lawmakers to "make this council a model of responsibility and competence" and described it as "a platform for truth and justice".

"Syria is writing a glorious history that ​reflects its heroism, and we face the responsibility of building both the nation and the individual," he said.

The parliament has ​been seen as a test of Sharaa's pledge to build an inclusive new order in Syria, which ⁠was run as a police state by the Assad family for decades, with a legislative chamber that was seen as a ​rubber stamp.

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