Syrians vote in parliamentary elections

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/07/syrians-vote-parliamentary-elections

Version 0 of 1.

Syrians have cast their ballots in parliamentary elections billed by the regime as the key to President Bashar al-Assad's political reforms, but which the opposition has dismissed as a sham meant to preserve his autocratic rule.

The voting on Monday for Syria's 250-member parliament is unlikely to affect the course of the country's popular uprising, which began 13 months ago. The regime has violently cracked down on dissent and many in the opposition have armed themselves, pushing Syria towards civil war. The UN says more than 9,000 people have been killed in the turmoil.

Polls opened at 7am and Syrian state TV showed voters lining up and dropping white ballots in large, plastic boxes. Election officials say more than 7,000 candidates are competing for seats in the legislature in a country of almost 15 million eligible voters out of a population of 24 million.

The elections are the first under a new constitution, adopted three months ago. For the first time the charter allows political parties to compete with Assad's ruling Ba'ath party and limits the president to two seven-year terms.

Assad has made a series of gestures toward reform to allay the crisis, but his opponents say his efforts are too little, too late. The vote was initially to take place in March but was postponed after last month's referendum on the new constitution that allowed other political parties to run.

The parliament is not considered an influential body in Syria, where the real power is concentrated around Assad, his family and advisers. Experts say that despite the legal changes, Syria's oppressive security services keep true regime opponents from participating in politics.

The opposition has called the elections a farce and says it will accept nothing short of the fall of Assad's regime.

"The face of the regime will not change," said activist Mousab Alhamadee in the central city of Hama. "The regime is like a very old woman, a woman in her 70s, trying to put on makeup."

Alhamadee said streets were empty and shops were closed as residents observed a general strike to protest against the elections. Activists reported strikes elsewhere, and some hung posters of those killed during the uprising around their neighbourhoods, saying their "martyrs" were the only suitable candidates.

It is unclear if voting will take place in all parts of the country, especially in areas heavily damaged by government shelling and clashes between troops and rebels.

World powers remain divided on how to address Syria's crisis, though all key players have endorsed a peace plan put forward by the UN envoy Kofi Annan designed to lead to discussions on a political solution between the regime and the opposition.

That plan has been troubled from the start. A truce that was to begin on 12 April has never really taken hold. About 40 UN observers are in Syria to monitor the truce. UN officials hope a wider deployment of up to 300 international monitors will gradually calm the situation.