Syrians are electing the members of their new parliament today in a vote that may bring some surprises, but may also pave the way for a constitutional amendment that would extend the mandate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
These elections are the fifth in a row in Syria since massive anti-government protests and their brutal crackdown in 2011 unleashed an ongoing civil war.
1,516 candidates approved by the government are competing for the 250-seat People's Council. However, the number of persons entitled to vote was not announced. In the parliamentary elections, unlike the presidential elections, the millions of Syrians outside the country do not have the right to vote. 8,151 polling stations are open in government-controlled areas.
In Sweida province, populated mainly by the Druze religious minority, where anti-government protests have been ongoing for almost a year, many have called for a boycott of the elections.
Elsewhere, the election campaign was lackluster, with candidates raising similar slogans such as national unity and prosperity.
Assad's Baath party won 166 seats in parliament in the 2020 election, a majority of around two-thirds, and its allied parties won 17 seats. Another 67 seats then went to independent candidates, AP recalls.