3rd Chamber of Deputies of Syria

3rd Chamber of Deputies
← 2nd 4th →
Overview
Legislative body	Chamber of Deputies
Jurisdiction	Syria
Meeting place	Chamber of Deputies Building, Damascus
Term	17 August 1943 – 31 May 1947 (1943-08-17 – 1947-05-31)
Election	1943
Government	al-Jabiri I (until 14 October 1944 (1944-10-14)) al-Khoury I (14 October 1944 – 5 April 1945 (1944-10-14 – 1945-04-05)) al-Khoury II (9 April – 23 August 1945 (1945-04-09 – 1945-08-23)) al-Khoury III (26 August – 30 September 1945 (1945-08-26 – 1945-09-30)) al-Jabiri II (30 September 1945 – 25 April 1946 (1945-09-30 – 1946-04-25)) al-Jabiri III (26 April – 27 December 1946 (1946-04-26 – 1946-12-27)) Mardam Bey II (from 29 December 1946 (1946-12-29))
Members	124
Speaker	Fares al-Khoury (National Bloc) (until 17 October 1944 (1944-10-17)) Saadallah al-Jabiri (National Bloc) (17 October 1944 – 15 September 1945 (1944-10-17 – 1945-09-15)) Fares al-Khoury (National Bloc) (from 16 September 1945 (1945-09-16))
Sessions
1st 19 October – 30 December 1943 (1943-10-19 – 1943-12-30) 2nd ? – ? 3rd ? – ? 4th ? – ? 5th ? – ? 6th 24 April – 31 May 1946 (1946-04-24 – 1946-05-31) 7th 22 October – 31 December 1946 (1946-10-22 – 1946-12-31) 8th 31 March – 31 May 1947 (1947-03-31 – 1947-05-31)
Special sessions
1st 17–26 August 1943 (1943-08-17 – 1943-08-26) 2nd 3 January 1944 (1944-01-03) – ? 3rd ? – ? 4th ? – ? 5th ? – ? 6th ? – ? 7th 5–31 January 1946 (1946-01-05 – 1946-01-31) 8th 2 February 1946 (1946-02-02) – ? 9th 11–22 January 1947 (1947-01-11 – 1947-01-22)

The Third Chamber of Deputies (Arabic: مجلس النواب للدور الاشتراعي الثالث, romanized: Majlis al-Nuwwāb lil-dawr al-ishtirāʻī al-thālith) was the third parliament of the Syrian Republic. It was elected following the 1943 parliamentary election, which marked the restoration of constitutional life under the French Mandate.

The Chamber held its first meeting on 17 August 1943. During the meeting, the chamber elected a speaker and its leadership, and elected Shukri al-Quwatli as president. Shortly thereafter, al-Quwatli appointed Saadallah al-Jabiri to form a government dominated by the National Bloc.

The chamber played a decisive role in Syria's transition to independence, including the abolition of constitutional provisions recognizing the French Mandate.

Background

The elections of 1943 followed a period of political instability and the suspension of constitutional life after 1939. In March 1943, the French authorities appointed a transitional government under Ata al-Ayyubi to oversee new elections and restore parliamentary governance under the 1930 Constitution.

Parliamentary elections were held in July 1943, with results announced on 7 August 1943. The National Bloc achieved a decisive victory.

Bureau

Position	Name	Party		Tenure
Speaker	Fares al-Khoury		National Bloc	17 August 1943 – 16 October 1944 (1943-08-17 – 1944-10-16) 16 September 1945 – 31 May 1947 (1945-09-16 – 1947-05-31)
	Saadallah al-Jabiri		National Bloc	17 October 1944 – 15 September 1945 (1944-10-17 – 1945-09-15)
Deputy Speaker	Said al-Ghazzi		National Bloc	17 August 1943 – 16 October 1944 (1943-08-17 – 1944-10-16) 16 September 1945 – 31 May 1947 (1945-09-16 – 1947-05-31)
	Muhammad al-Ayish		Independent	17 August 1943 – 31 May 1947 (1943-08-17 – 1947-05-31)
	Najib al-Barazi		National Bloc	17 October 1944 – 15 September 1945 (1944-10-17 – 1945-09-15)
Secretary	Sabri al-Asali		National Bloc	17 August – 18 October 1943 (1943-08-17 – 1943-10-18)
	Muhammad Suleiman al-Ahmad		National Bloc	19 October 1943 – 31 May 1947 (1943-10-19 – 1947-05-31)
	Akram al-Hourani		Youth Party	19 October 1943 – 16 October 1944 (1943-10-19 – 1944-10-16)
	Joseph Ilyan		National Bloc	17 October 1944 – 21 October 1946 (1944-10-17 – 1946-10-21)
	Najib al-Barazi		National Bloc	16 September 1945 – 21 October 1946 (1945-09-16 – 1946-10-21)
	Hamid al-Khoja		National Bloc	22 October 1946 – 31 May 1947 (1946-10-22 – 1947-05-31)
Overseer	Ali al-Hayyani			17 August 1943 – 21 October 1946 (1943-08-17 – 1946-10-21)
	Said Ishaq			17 August 1943 – 21 October 1946 (1943-08-17 – 1946-10-21)
	Ahmad al-Sharabati		National Bloc	17 August – 18 October 1943 (1943-08-17 – 1943-10-18)
	Fakhri al-Baroudi			19 October 1943 – 31 May 1947 (1943-10-19 – 1947-05-31)
	Farid Marhaj			22 October 1946 – 31 May 1947 (1946-10-22 – 1947-05-31)
	Abd al-Qadir Rahmu			22 October 1946 – 31 May 1947 (1946-10-22 – 1947-05-31)

Elections of the Burea

19 October 1943

The Chamber of Deputies reelected its bureau on the first sitting of the 1st ordinary session on 19 October 1943.

Election of the Speaker

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Fares al-Khoury	National Bloc	88	100.00
Total			88	100.00
Valid votes			88	94.62
Invalid/blank votes			5	5.38
Total votes			93	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			124	75.00

Election of the Deputy Speakers

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Said al-Ghazzi	Independent	66	75.00
	Muhammad al-Ayish	Independent	65	73.86
	Najib al-Barazi	National Bloc	45	51.14
Total			176	100.00
Valid votes			88	100.00
Invalid/blank votes			0	0.00
Total votes			88	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			124	70.97

Election of the Secretaries

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Muhammad Suleiman al-Ahmad	National Bloc	60	70.59
	Akram al-Hourani	Youth Party	54	63.53
	Najdat al-Najjari	National Bloc	25	29.41
	Adnan al-Atassi	National Bloc	20	23.53
	Ahmad Faris al-Zoubi		10	11.76
Total			169	100.00
Valid votes			85	100.00
Invalid/blank votes			0	0.00
Total votes			85	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			124	68.55

Election of the Overseers

Candidate	Votes	%
Said Ishaq	64	68.09
Ali al-Hayyani	61	64.89
Fakhri al-Baroudi	58	61.70
Total	183	100.00
Valid votes	89	94.68
Invalid/blank votes	5	5.32
Total votes	94	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	124	75.81

22 October 1946

The Chamber of Deputies reelected its Bureau at the first sitting of its seventh ordinary session, on 22 October 1946, with 72 deputies present. Fares al-Khoury was elected speaker with 61 votes, against 8 blank ballots. Muhammad al-Ayish and Said al-Ghazzi were elected deputy speakers, with 55 and 53 votes respectively. Hamid al-Khoja and Muhammad Suleiman al-Ahmad were elected secretaries, with 43 and 28 votes respectively. Farid Marhaj, Abd al-Qadir Rahmu, and Fakhri al-Baroudi were elected overseers, with 52, 51, and 40 votes respectively.

Members

Main article: List of members of the Chamber of Deputies (Syria), 1943–1947

Committees

1st Ordinary and 1st Special Session

The Chamber's committees were elected for the first special session in August 1943. Deputies were divided into three parliamentary sections to elect the committee members. The same committees were renewed for the first ordinary session on 16 October. On 26 October, these committees elected their Bureaux as follows:

Committees	Burea		Party
Budget Committee	Chair	Said al-Ghazzi		National Bloc
	Vice-Chair	Hikmat al-Hiraki		Independent
	Rapporteur	Nazim al-Qudsi		National Bloc
Constitution Committee	Chair
	Vice-Chair
	Rapporteur
Education Committee	Chair	Abd al-Hamid al-Tabba
	Vice-Chair	Ilyas Ubayd
	Rapporteur	Muhammad Suleiman al-Ahmad		National Bloc
Financial Laws Committee	Chair	Wadi Sa'ada
	Vice-Chair	Ahmad Khalil al-Mudarris
	Rapporteur	Adnan al-Atassi		National Bloc
Foreign Affairs Committee	Chair	Adnan al-Atassi		National Bloc
	Vice-Chair	Ahmad al-Sharabati		National Bloc
	Rapporteur	Nazim al-Qudsi		National Bloc
Interior Committee	Chair	Nasib al-Bakri		National Bloc
	Vice-Chair	Hikmat al-Hiraki		Independent
	Rapporteur	Afif al-Sulh		National Bloc
Judicial Committee	Chair	Latif Ghanima		National Bloc
	Vice-Chair	Sabri al-Asali		National Bloc
	Rapporteur	Hani al-Sibai		National Bloc
National Defense Committee	Chair	Hasan al-Atrash		Independent
	Vice-Chair	Ali al-Zawba
	Rapporteur	Fakhri al-Baroudi		National Bloc
National Economy Committee	Chair	Najib al-Barazi		National Bloc
	Vice-Chair	Wahbi al-Hariri
	Rapporteur	Ahmad al-Sharabati		National Bloc
Petitions Committee	Chair	Uqla al-Qutami
	Vice-Chair	Hikmat al-Hakim		National Bloc
	Rapporteur	Raif al-Malqi		National Bloc

7th Ordinary Session

The Chamber's committees were reelected for the seventh ordinary session on 23 October 1946. On 24 October, these committees elected their Bureaux as follows:

Committees	Burea		Party
Budget Committee	Chair	Said al-Ghazzi		National Bloc
	Vice-Chair	Hikmat al-Hiraki		Independent
	Rapporteur	Hani al-Sibai		National Bloc
Constitution Committee	Chair	Abd al-Rahman al-Kayyali		National Bloc
	Vice-Chair	Munir al-Abbas
	Rapporteur	Hani al-Sibai		National Bloc
Education Committee	Chair	Nasuhi al-Bukhari		Independent
	Vice-Chair	Ilyas Ubayd
	Rapporteur	Ahmad Awda
Endowments Committee (Bureau elected on 11 December 1946)	Chair	Abd al-Hamid al-Tabba
	Vice-Chair	Abd al-Rahman al-Kayyali		National Bloc
	Rapporteur	Hikmat al-Hakim		National Bloc
Financial Laws Committee	Chair	Adnan al-Atassi		National Bloc
	Vice-Chair	Wadi Saadeh
	Rapporteur	Fathallah Asyun		National Bloc
Foreign Affairs Committee	Chair	Na'im al-Antaki		National Bloc
	Vice-Chair	Rushdi al-Kikhya		National Bloc
	Rapporteur	Adnan al-Atassi		National Bloc
Interior Committee	Chair	Nasib al-Bakri		National Bloc
	Vice-Chair	Hikmat al-Hiraki		Independent
	Rapporteur	Hamid al-Khoja		National Bloc
Judicial Committee	Chair	Hani al-Sibai		National Bloc
	Vice-Chair	Said al-Ghazzi		National Bloc
	Rapporteur	Akram al-Hourani		Youth Party
National Defense Committee	Chair	Nasuhi al-Bukhari		Independent
	Vice-Chair	Fakhri al-Baroudi		National Bloc
	Rapporteur	Jamal Ali Adib		National Bloc
National Economy Committee	Chair	Abd al-Hamid al-Tabba
	Vice-Chair	Ahmad Khalil al-Mudarris
	Rapporteur	George Sahnawi
Petitions Committee	Chair	Fakhri al-Baroudi		National Bloc
	Vice-Chair	Ahmad Awda
	Rapporteur	Muhammad Suleiman al-Ahmad		National Bloc

Major legislations

• Abolishing article 116 of the constitution on 21 August 1943. The article had recognized the French Mandate and given it precedence over the Constitution
• Law on religious courts, issued on 31 January 1945
• Law nationalizing the Hejaz Railway as a public institution, issued on 28 February 1945
• Law approving the Charter of the Arab League, issued on 3 April 1945
• Adoption of the national anthem Ḥumāt ad-Diyār in 1945
• Labor Law, issued on 11 June 1946.
• Law mandating the minting of coins exclusively in silver, issued in 1947.
• Law on the Hejaz Railway System, issued on 12 May 1947.
• Law no. 325 amending the Syrian Parliamentary Elections Law, issued on 21 May 1947. New Article 46 stipulated that elections shall be free, direct, and held in a single round.

May 1945 crisis

On 29 May 1945, as part of the larger Levant Crisis, French forces attacked the parliament building in Damascus after Syrian guards refused to salute the French flag. The assault resulted in the killing of members of the parliamentary guard and the destruction of parts of the building. The attack triggered widespread unrest, including demonstrations and armed clashes, and intensified international pressure on France to end its mandate.

Amid escalating tensions, the Syrian government rejected French demands for military privileges and appealed to the international community.

In 1945, Syrian representatives participated in the San Francisco Conference and signed the Charter of the United Nations. Following continued pressure and a United Nations resolution, French and British forces agreed to withdraw. The evacuation was completed on 17 April 1946, marking full Syrian independence.

Legacy

The Third Chamber of Deputies was instrumental in ending the French Mandate and establishing Syria as an independent state. Its legislative actions, diplomatic initiatives, and resistance to foreign control made it one of the most significant parliamentary terms in Syrian history.

This was the first Syrian parliament to serve its full term with no interruptions. It would be an achievement not repeated again in Syria until the 1st People's Assembly elected in 1973.