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Syria goes to the polls in parliamentary elections Syria goes to the polls in parliamentary elections
(about 6 hours later)
Syrians have been voting in parliamentary elections, hailed as a landmark in the country's reform programme but derided as a sham by anti-regime groups who have refused to take part. Syrians have voted in parliamentary elections that were hailed by the government as a landmark in the country's reform programme, but derided as a sham by groups opposed to the current regime, who refused to take part.
Polling stations opened at 7am on Monday to elect members of Syria's 250-member parliament. The elections are the first since an amendment to the Syrian constitution earlier this year, which allowed multi-party candidates to contest positions in the legislature. Parliament has played a largely secondary role in Syrian society, remaining in the shadow of the dominant Ba'ath party that has entrenched the four-decade rule of the Assad clan. Polls to elect members of Syria's 250-member parliament opened at 7am on Monday and closed 13 hours later, although many voting booths in the country's war-torn areas remained closed throughout the day or were poorly attended.
The ability of Bashar al-Assad's regime to hold credible elections as Syria continues to be ravaged by a violent uprising will be closely monitored. Ahead of the ballot, opposition groups said the process was designed to reinforce the regime's grip on power, rather than open up Syrian society to a plurality of voices and views. The elections follow an amendment to the Syrian constitution earlier this year that allowed multi-party candidates to contest positions in the legislature, which has played a largely secondary role in Syrian society. It has remained in the shadow of the dominant Ba'ath party – that has entrenched the four-decade rule of the Assad clan – rubber-stamping the government's agenda.
The ability of Bashar al-Assad's government to hold credible elections while Syria continues to be ravaged by a violent uprising will be closely monitored. Opposition groups said before the ballot that the process was designed to reinforce the regime's grip on power, rather than open up Syrian society to a plurality of voices and views.
The Syrian National Council (SNC), which has positioned itself as the main opposition group, has ignored the ballot and its members insist that the embattled regime cannot save itself with any sort of reform programme.
A key test of the election will be the performance of the Ba'ath party, which three months ago notionally lost its 50-year monopoly control over all aspects of Syrian society. However, with its pervasive reach into all aspects of civil life, the party has remained one of the most formidable weapons in the regime's attempts to weed out dissent as it attempts to reassert order after a ruthless 15-month crackdown.A key test of the election will be the performance of the Ba'ath party, which three months ago notionally lost its 50-year monopoly control over all aspects of Syrian society. However, with its pervasive reach into all aspects of civil life, the party has remained one of the most formidable weapons in the regime's attempts to weed out dissent as it attempts to reassert order after a ruthless 15-month crackdown.
More than 7,000 candidates are taking part in Monday's ballot, which Damascus claims will attract a large number of the 15 million Syrians eligible to take part. Ba'ath party-aligned candidates took part in the ballot, which Damascus claims will attract a large number of the 15 million Syrians who are eligible to take part.
Activists say a clause in the ballot limiting a president to two terms of seven years is proof of its intent to stymie rather than foster change. The clause would not be applied retrospectively, meaning President Assad would have 14 years to serve as leader from the time the result of the ballot is declared. Activists say a clause in the ballot limiting a president to two terms of seven years is proof of its intent to stymie rather than foster change. The clause would not be applied retrospectively, meaning Assad would have 14 years to serve as president from the time the result is declared.
Opposition groups say parties standing against Assad have been sanctioned to do so by the regime and are not committed to driving meaningful change into the region's most inflexible police state. Opposition groups say parties standing against Assad have been sanctioned to do so by the regime and are not committed to driving meaningful change in the region's most inflexible police state.
Some opposition candidates were given airtime on state media and claimed that Syria was ready for fresh voices. Such statements were considered punishable before the uprising took hold, however the SNC insists that they do not amount to a credible threat to more than four decades of totalitarian rule.
Monday's election has generated little regional or international interest, with Assad's critics not expecting it to change the political or security landscape in the country, which continues to unravel in the face of an increasingly armed revolt.Monday's election has generated little regional or international interest, with Assad's critics not expecting it to change the political or security landscape in the country, which continues to unravel in the face of an increasingly armed revolt.
It is not clear whether polling stations will open in the most restive areas of the country, such as the battered third city of Homs, Idlib in the north and Deir Ezzor in the largely Kurdish north-east. Polling stations stayed largely closed in the most restive areas of the country, such as the battered third city of Homs, Idlib in the north and Deir Ezzor in the largely Kurdish north-east.
Over recent weeks, regime forces have intensified operations in all three areas. Loyalist troops and militias have also been active in the second city, Aleppo, where a protest at one of the city's main universities was ruthlessly crushed last week, with scores reportedly killed. Days of large protests and clashes with security forces followed. Over recent weeks, regime forces have intensified operations in all three areas.
The violence has raged despite a UN-brokered ceasefire that has been widely criticised as a failure. The plan's architect, special envoy to Syria Kofi Annan, is due to report to the UN security council on what has been achieved since the plan came into effect in early April. The streets of Derra, where the uprising began in March 2011, appeared to be mostly abandoned throughout Monday.
Loyalist troops and militias have also been active in the second city, Aleppo, where a protest at one of the city's main universities was ruthlessly crushed last week, with scores reportedly killed. Days of large protests and clashes with security forces followed.
Between 9,000 and 10,000 civilians have been killed in the violence, which has transformed from a brutal suppression of demonstrators to a two-way fight involving armed activists, many of them military defectors.
The violence has continued despite a UN-brokered ceasefire that has been widely criticised as a failure. The plan's architect, special envoy to Syria Kofi Annan, is due to report to the UN security council on what has been achieved since the plan came into effect in early April.
Meanwhile, Turkish prime minister Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday toured border districts in the deep south of the country that have housed thousands of refugees who have fled fighting in nearby towns and villages.
Erdogan, a vocal critic of Assad said the rebel groups fighting loyalist forces will eventually oust the regime.