Who runs local government in Syria?
Under the Assad government, Syria had 14 governorates with appointed governors and thousands of elected local councils under the 2011 Local Administration Law, though elections were controlled by the ruling Baath Party. After the fall of the Assad government in December 2024, a transitional government took power and issued a Constitutional Declaration in March 2025 that says nothing about local government. Since then governors have been appointed by the new authorities and many local councils replaced or reshaped; the picture differs sharply from region to region and is highly uncertain.
Syrian Arab Republic · Unitary republic under a transitional government since December 2024 · Western Asia
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Governorates (14) | Governor appointed by the President (under both the old and transitional systems) | Heads security and state services; a 2025 ministerial decision delegated wide administrative and financial powers to governors. |
| Districts (mantiqa) and sub-districts (nahiya) | Appointed district managers | State administration. |
| Cities, towns and villages | Under the 2011 law, councils elected for four years (last held in 2022); since 2025 many are run by councils or executive offices appointed by governors | Local services, planning, permits. |
Three questions about local power in Syria
Are local leaders elected?
Before 2024, local councillors were elected (with at least half of seats for 'workers and peasants'), while governors and mukhtars were appointed. Since 2025, most local office-holders are appointed; the transitional People's Assembly is chosen two-thirds by indirect selection committees and one-third by the President.
Which laws set up local government?
The 2012 Constitution required elected local councils, but it has been replaced by the 2025 Constitutional Declaration, which has no local-government chapter; the 2011 Local Administration Law has not been formally replaced. Tribal and religious mediation is informal.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
In practice local officials answer upward to governors and the transitional presidency. There are no regular local elections or strong independent courts yet; armed groups and community leaders act as informal checks in some areas.
Traditional and customary authority
Religious and community leaders matter greatly in a society divided by war: Druze religious leaders in Suwayda, Alawite and Christian clergy, Sunni scholars and tribal sheikhs in the east (Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa, Hasakah) mediate disputes and negotiate with authorities and armed groups. Tribal confederations have shifted allegiances repeatedly. Mukhtars, appointed headmen of villages and urban quarters, certify residence and civil records. Family law is applied by sharia, Druze and church courts.
Community and neighbourhood power
During the war, local councils in opposition areas (some elected by residents), civil defence teams and relief committees ran services. In the north-east the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria built a system of neighbourhood communes and councils. These structures are now being absorbed, dissolved or renegotiated under the transitional government.
Points to know
- The Constitutional Declaration of 13 March 2025 sets a transitional period of five years, after which a permanent constitution and national elections are planned.
- UN briefings in 2026 reported indirect elections for People's Assembly seats in Hasakeh and Kobane in May 2026, a sign that the transitional authorities were extending their reach into the north-east.
- Under the 2014 election law, at least half of local council seats were reserved for 'workers and peasants', a Baath-era rule.
- Suwayda (mainly Druze) and parts of the north-east have had their own local arrangements and contested relations with Damascus.
Local terms
- Mukhtar
- An appointed village or neighbourhood headman who certifies residence and civil records.
- Commune (komun)
- A neighbourhood assembly in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.
Sources
- Constitutional Declaration of the Syrian Arab Republic, 13 March 2025 (unofficial English translation), ConstitutionNet, International IDEA, checked 14 October 2026
- UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, briefing to the Security Council, 22 June 2026, Office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria, checked 14 October 2026
- Syrian Arab Republic's Constitution of 2012 (superseded in 2025), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
- Syrian Arab Republic: local government profile, UN Women (Women in Local Government country profiles), checked 14 October 2026
See also: Syria's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.