Syria will hold its first parliamentary elections on Sunday, 10 months after rebel groups led by Ahmed al-Shara, the current president, overthrew Bashar al-Assad to end a brutal civil war.

Some have welcomed the elections as a step toward democracy after years of dictatorship under the Assad family, who ruled the country with an iron fist for more than five decades.

But others argue that the vote is unrepresentative and that Mr. al-Shara is using it to consolidate power, especially given that he will appoint a third of the 210 members of Parliament directly.

The election is not being held across the entire country. In the northeast, the parts of Raqqa and Hasakah Provinces that are run by a Kurdish-led administration will be excluded. And the entire southern province of Sweida, where hundreds were killed this summer in clashes between Bedouin tribes and members of the Druse religious minority, will also be left out.

Although it is unclear how much authority the Parliament will ultimately have, for a country emerging from decades of dictatorship, it could represent a milestone.

Here is what to know about the vote.

How will the election be run?

Syrians will not vote for candidates directly, because the government says the country still faces significant administrative challenges since the end of the civil war. For instance, many people do not have identification and are still displaced from their homes.