Eligible voters headed to polls to vote in Syria’s parliamentary election, which might allow Bashar Assad to increase his time period by a constitutional modification.
The vote is the fourth in Syria since mass anti-government protests in 2011 and a brutal crackdown by safety forces spiraled into an ongoing civil battle. It comes as an financial disaster grips the nation, fueling demonstrations within the south.
Syria’s 2024 parliamentary election excludes opposition-held northwest Syria and the nation’s northeast beneath U.S.-backed YPG, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terrorist group. The variety of eligible voters hasn’t been introduced both, and in contrast to presidential elections, the hundreds of thousands of diaspora Syrians – whose numbers have ballooned for the reason that civil battle – should not certified to vote for the legislators.
Western nations and Assad’s critics say the polling in government-held areas in Syria is neither free nor honest.
This yr, 1,516 government-approved candidates are working for the 250-seat People’s Assembly. Some 8,151 polling stations have been arrange in 15 voting districts in government-held areas, with outcomes anticipated to be introduced Monday night time or the next day.
In the final spherical of elections in 2020, the result was delayed for days as a consequence of technical points, in line with officers. Assad’s Baath Party gained 166 seats, along with 17 others from allied events, whereas 67 seats went to unbiased candidates.
The ballot is going down as Syria’s financial system continues to deteriorate after years of battle, Western-led sanctions, the COVID-19 pandemic and dwindling support as a consequence of donor fatigue.
Meanwhile, the worth of the nation’s nationwide foreign money in opposition to the greenback has reached new lows, sparking meals and gasoline inflation. The authorities additionally partially rolled again its subsidy program virtually a yr in the past whereas on the identical time doubling public sector and pension wages.
Voters advised The Associated Press that fixing Syria’s hobbling financial system is a key situation.
“We hope that our belief in these new legislators will deliver good to the nation and enhance situations,” mentioned Ahmad al-Afoush, 40, after voting in Damascus.
Shirine al-Khleif hopes the brand new parliament will proactively take measures to enhance the residing scenario in Syria.
“I don’t wish to say that the predecessors weren’t good. We simply need issues to enhance,” the 47-year-old engineer mentioned.
In the Druze-majority southern province of Sweida, the place anti-government protests have been going down commonly for practically a yr as a consequence of financial distress, many known as for a boycott of the polls. Videos posted on-line by Suwayda24, an area activist media collective, and others confirmed protesters grabbing poll packing containers off a truck in an try to cease them from reaching the polling stations.
Elsewhere, campaigning was low-key as candidates centered primarily on normal slogans similar to nationwide unity and prosperity.
Vladimir Pran, an unbiased adviser on transitional political and electoral processes, mentioned the aggressive a part of the Syrian election course of comes earlier than the polling begins, when a voted-on listing of Baath Party candidates is distributed to the celebration’s central command, permitting them to run within the election.
“Elections are really already finished … with the end of the primary process,” he said. Once the Baath party list is completed, “you possibly can test the listing and the outcomes, and you will note that actually all of them can be within the Parliament.”
The variety of incumbents who made the ultimate listing this yr was comparatively low, suggesting a reshuffling throughout the Baath celebration.
Maroun Sfeir, a guide on transitional electoral and political processes, mentioned the 169 candidates put ahead by the Baath celebration alone go previous the margin of 167 MPs wanted to suggest a constitutional modification, shield the president from being accused of treason and veto laws.
In addition, 16 candidates from Baath-allied events are additionally working on the identical listing, he mentioned. “You’re solely three MPs in need of three-quarters of the parliament, which is required for (passing) a constitutional modification.”
While that leaves 65 slots open for unbiased candidates, Sfeir mentioned they shouldn’t be anticipated to current an actual opposition bloc.
“They are all pre-vetted … to make sure that they’re all loyal or with none menace,” he mentioned.
With Assad dealing with time period limits that might finish his presidency in 2028, the subsequent parliament is broadly anticipated to attempt to move a constitutional modification to increase his time period.
After casting his poll in Damascus, Assad spoke to reporters concerning the vote and the way the parliament may very well be the place for a nationwide dialogue within the nation.
Source: www.dailysabah.com