Syrian parliamentary election, 1961
Encyclopedia
The Syrian parliamentary elections of 1961 were the first free democratic elections held in Syria
after seceding from the United Arab Republic
. The election was held on 1—2 December 1961.
above the age of 18 had the right to vote; one deputy for every 30,000 voters; separate representation for non-Muslims and the Bedouin
tribes. Some of the more important amendments was giving women passive suffrage in addition to active suffrage guaranteed in the 1949 law. 1 December was fixed as election day. The election law
also stipulated that balloting would be extended to 2 December, if by the time the polls closed on 1 December, less than 51% of the voters had cast their vote. The deadline for nomination of candidates was extended to 22 November. The electoral constituents were announced as a total of 172 seats. The total number of candidates was announced on election eve as 1,876, including 11 women.
also resigned and handed his post to the deputy prime minister Izzat al-Nus (Minister of Education), on November 20. Dr. al-Nus, the new prime minister, in a statement of policy, stressed the transitional character of his government which had its main task the holding of elections "at their scheduled time and in an atmosphere of neutrality, impartiality and confidence."
Three days before the official campaigns started the army command
issued a statement asserting its neutrality in the elections. The statement said that several candidates were falsely claiming to be army nominees.
newspaper al-Jareeda predicted a conservative victory in Damascus
, mainly because of the disunity between the rivals. Hama
and Homs
seemed more favorable towards the left due to more sensitivity there to peasant problems. In the al-Jazirah
and Jabal al-Druze, the family factor was decisive.
versus leftist
tendencies.
It was generally agreed that the results were a victory for the right. The success of the Muslim Brotherhood
, considered an "extreme right", and the "anti-Nasser" elements were also noted. As far as party affiliation, the People's Party
had remained the strongest faction, which attracted many of the independents; the National Party
and the Baath Party
followed. At its first meeting, on December 12, the assembly elected Maamun al-Kuzbari
as speaker by 114 votes and on December 14 Nazim al-Kudsi
, leader of the People's Party, was elected president of the republic with a majority of 153 votes.
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
after seceding from the United Arab Republic
United Arab Republic
The United Arab Republic , often abbreviated as the U.A.R., was a sovereign union between Egypt and Syria. The union began in 1958 and existed until 1961, when Syria seceded from the union. Egypt continued to be known officially as the "United Arab Republic" until 1971. The President was Gamal...
. The election was held on 1—2 December 1961.
Preparations
On 29 October 1961, the 1949 election law was restored and amended by Legislative decree No. 56. The basic provisions of the 1949 law remained in place: every Syrian nationalSyrian people
The Syrian people are the inhabitants and citizens of Syria. Syrians are tied together by geography, linguistic heritage, religion, and similar Eastern Mediterranean ethnicities...
above the age of 18 had the right to vote; one deputy for every 30,000 voters; separate representation for non-Muslims and the Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
tribes. Some of the more important amendments was giving women passive suffrage in addition to active suffrage guaranteed in the 1949 law. 1 December was fixed as election day. The election law
Election law
Election law is a discipline falling at the juncture of constitutional law and political science. It researches "the politics of law and the law of politics"...
also stipulated that balloting would be extended to 2 December, if by the time the polls closed on 1 December, less than 51% of the voters had cast their vote. The deadline for nomination of candidates was extended to 22 November. The electoral constituents were announced as a total of 172 seats. The total number of candidates was announced on election eve as 1,876, including 11 women.
Caretaker government
The government decided that ministers appearing as candidates in the elections should resign their posts in the cabinet. Accordingly the resignation of following ministers was announced on November 18: Leon Zamariya (Finance and Supplies), Farhan al-Jandali (Health), Fuad al-Adil (Labour and Social Affairs) and Said al-Sayyed (Agrarian Reform). In addition, prime minister Maamun al-KuzbariMaamun al-Kuzbari
Maamun al-Kuzbari was a Syrian literary personality, politician and acting head of state from a prominent Damascus family.- Career :...
also resigned and handed his post to the deputy prime minister Izzat al-Nus (Minister of Education), on November 20. Dr. al-Nus, the new prime minister, in a statement of policy, stressed the transitional character of his government which had its main task the holding of elections "at their scheduled time and in an atmosphere of neutrality, impartiality and confidence."
Three days before the official campaigns started the army command
Syrian Army
The Syrian Army, officially called the Syrian Arab Army, is the land force branch of the Syrian Armed Forces. It is the dominant military service of the four uniformed services, controlling the senior most posts in the armed forces, and has the greatest manpower, approximately 80 percent of the...
issued a statement asserting its neutrality in the elections. The statement said that several candidates were falsely claiming to be army nominees.
Campaign regulations
The duration for the election campaigns was set between 22 November and 29 November. The regulations were aimed at asserting full freedom: there would be a ban during the election period on anything that might harm the safety of the army or public security. Propagenda on television and radio was banned. Publication of election material in the press was to be supervised neutral committees in each province.Campaigns
Although the official election campaign opened on November 22, an election atmosphere became apparent earlier. Officially permitted propaganda was very limited. Each candidate was allowed one statement only, of 65 lines and approved by the election committee, in morning and evening newspapers.Factions
On the eve of the election there were two main factions: conservatives on the right, who wanted abolition of the socialist measures enacted during the union, and the leftists who desired their retentions. On the other hand, all factions desired a democratic contest. Leading LebaneseLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
newspaper al-Jareeda predicted a conservative victory in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, mainly because of the disunity between the rivals. Hama
Hama
Hama is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria north of Damascus. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. Hama is the fourth-largest city in Syria—behind Aleppo, Damascus, and Homs—with a population of 696,863...
and Homs
Homs
Homs , previously known as Emesa , is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is above sea level and is located north of Damascus...
seemed more favorable towards the left due to more sensitivity there to peasant problems. In the al-Jazirah
Al-Jazira, Mesopotamia
Upper Mesopotamia is the name used for the uplands and great outwash plain of northwestern Iraq and northeastern Syria and southeastern Turkey which is known by the traditional Arabic name of Al-Jazira , variously transliterated into Roman script as Djazirah, Djezirah and Jazirah...
and Jabal al-Druze, the family factor was decisive.
Elections
The elections took place on 1 December. The elections proceeded in an orderly way and a calm atmosphere. In most constituencies more than 51% of the electorate had voted by the close of the polls on December 1; in the remaining constituencies polling stations reopened at 5:00 am on 2 December. The vote for the Assembly was secret; voters received an empty envelope and a blank ballot paper and voted in the privacy of booths.Participation
There were no official figures but estimates put the number of eligible voters at between 1,000,000 and 1,250,000. According to the Minister of Interior, participation the various constituencies ranged from 48% to 84%, "a figure not reached in Syria before." In Damascus the participation was 46%.Results
By the time of the elections all political parties were officially disbanded. Thus, there were only independent candidates or non-party lists, and the results were interpreted on the basis of party affiliation and on of rightistRight-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
versus leftist
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
tendencies.
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| People's Party People's Party (Syria) People's Party was a Syrian political party that was active during the 1950s and the early 1960s. The party was established in 1948 as the main opposition party to the National Party... |
33 | |||
| National Party National Party (Syria) The National Party was group that led the struggle against the Ottomans in Syria after the leadership of the revolution against the French mandate in 1926 make up the National Front The National Party was group that led the struggle against the Ottomans in Syria after the leadership of the... |
21 | |||
| Ba'ath Party | 20 | |||
| Muslim Brotherhood Muslim Brotherhood The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an... |
10 | |||
| Arab Liberation Movement | 4 | |||
| Socialist Cooperation Party | 0 | |||
| Syrian Social Nationalist Party Syrian Social Nationalist Party The Syrian Social Nationalist Party , is a secular nationalist political party in Lebanon and Syria. It advocates the establishment of a Syrian nation state spanning the Fertile Crescent, including present day Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, the Palestinian Territories, Israel, Cyprus, Kuwait,... |
0 | |||
| Syrian Communist Party Syrian Communist Party The Syrian Communist Party was a political party in Syria, founded in 1944. It became a member of the National Progressive Front in 1972... |
0 | |||
| Independents | 84 | |||
| Total | 172 | +30 | ||
| Source: Nohlen et al | ||||
It was generally agreed that the results were a victory for the right. The success of the Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
, considered an "extreme right", and the "anti-Nasser" elements were also noted. As far as party affiliation, the People's Party
People's Party (Syria)
People's Party was a Syrian political party that was active during the 1950s and the early 1960s. The party was established in 1948 as the main opposition party to the National Party...
had remained the strongest faction, which attracted many of the independents; the National Party
National Party (Syria)
The National Party was group that led the struggle against the Ottomans in Syria after the leadership of the revolution against the French mandate in 1926 make up the National Front The National Party was group that led the struggle against the Ottomans in Syria after the leadership of the...
and the Baath Party
Baath Party
The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party was a political party mixing Arab nationalist and Arab socialist interests, opposed to Western imperialism, and calling for the renaissance or resurrection and unification of the Arab world into a single state. Ba'ath is also spelled Ba'th or Baath and means...
followed. At its first meeting, on December 12, the assembly elected Maamun al-Kuzbari
Maamun al-Kuzbari
Maamun al-Kuzbari was a Syrian literary personality, politician and acting head of state from a prominent Damascus family.- Career :...
as speaker by 114 votes and on December 14 Nazim al-Kudsi
Nazim al-Kudsi
Nazim al-Kudsi, also spelled "Koudsi", "al-Qudsi" or "al-Cudsi" , was a Syrian politician and head of state . He was born in and raised in Aleppo...
, leader of the People's Party, was elected president of the republic with a majority of 153 votes.