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PoliticsSyria

Syrians in government-held areas vote for new parliament

July 15, 2024

The vote is expected to keep Syrian President Bashar Assad's ruling Baath party in power, and pave the way for a possible constitutional amendment to extend his term.

https://p.dw.com/p/4iID1
A woman casts her ballot at a polling station during parliamentary elections, in Damascus, Syria, with photos of Bashar Assad in the background, including one with the text "We love you."
The poll is taking place as Syria's economy continues to deteriorate after years of conflictImage: Ymam Al Shaar/REUTERS

Polls opened on Monday in government-held parts of Syria for a legislative election that was likely to yield no surprises. 

The election is the fourth to take place in Syria amid an ongoing war, which started in 2011 following mass anti-government protests and a brutal clampdown on demonstrations by security forces. 

Candidates' campaigns largely revolved around general slogans, such as national unity and prosperity, in a country ravaged by a conflict involving foreign armies and jihadists. 

Many people called for an election boycott in the southern province of Sweida, where anti-government protesters have regularly rallied over the past year. Online footage showed demonstrators seizing ballot boxes off a truck in a bid attempt to stop them from arriving at polling stations.

How does the election work?

The Syrian government has approved 1,516 candidates to run for the 250-seat People's Assembly.

Syrians are eligible to vote with an identity card from the age of 18. There are 8,150 polling stations in 15 voting districts in government-held parts of Syria.

People living in the Kurdish-controlled northeast, the jihadist-run city of Idlib in the northwest or along the northern border with Turkey under the rule of Ankara-backed rebels effectively cannot vote. 

However, voters in government-held areas can elect candidates vying for seats representing non-government-controlled regions. 

Millions of Syrians who have sought refuge abroad after the war broke out cannot vote. 

What is expected? 

Elections in Syria rarely have surprising results, as the country has been run by the same family for decades. 

Analysts say the number of candidates put forward by President Bashar Assad's Baath party is just above the margin of members needed to propose a constitutional amendment, protect the president from being accused of treason and veto legislation.

There are no real opposition parties competing, and all the independent candidates are seen as either loyal to the regime or unthreatening. 

Under current laws, Assad faces term limits that would end his presidency in 2028. The coming parliament is therefore widely expected to pass a constitutional amendment to extend his rule.

fb/rmt (AFP, AP)