Dispatch

Sharaa’s Democratic Test

The Syrian president, who visits the White House today, just oversaw his first election. November 10, 2025, 12:01 AM Comment icon View Comments ( )

Two men hold up clear boxes. One looks through the box, another tilts it on its side. In front of them is a dais with a microphone. Behind them red drapes.

DAMASCUS—In 1988, a Druze academic named Adham Masoud al-Qaq tried to run for Syria’s parliament, the People’s Assembly. Hafez al-Assad was dictator of Syria at the time and Qaq made the mistake of pushing for democratic reforms. He was arrested for his opposition to the regime—his third time that decade—and then imprisoned. Upon release, he fled to Egypt, where he lived in exile for 36 years.

When the Assad regime collapsed on Dec.8, 2024, Q

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