Syrians cast ballots for new parliament
DAMASCUS — Syrians flocked on Monday to the polling stations to cast their votes in the parliamentary elections, hoping for changes that can help the country overcome current difficulties.
The Supreme Judicial Committee for Elections affirmed the initiation of voting across the governmentcontrolled regions of Syria, with 8,151 polling centers opening at 7 am. The election sees 1,516 candidates competing for 250 seats in the People’s Assembly.
Syria’s parliamentary elections take place every four years, with the People’s Assembly serving as the country’s legislative organ.
Judge Jihad Murad, the chairman of the Supreme Judicial Committee, characterized the voting process as a “critical democratic undertaking”, detailing the procedures for vote counting and result announcement upon its conclusion.
Most of the voters hope the would-be lawmakers could work hard to find solutions to the current situation. Years of civil war, political instability, and international sanctions have pulverized the Syrian economy, plunging millions of Syrians into poverty.
“I hope they will improve something in the country and find solutions for the situation we are going through,” Nariman Shanli, a voter in Damascus, told Xinhua.
“Every candidate who nominates themselves from any faction must be up to the responsibility,” said Nasreen Ahmed, another voter in the Syrian capital.
“They must feel the same sorrow as we do,” she added.
The country’s economy remains in dire straits with high inflation and little foreign investment amid Western sanctions and a stalled UN-led process meant to find a political solution to the conflict.
At a Damascus polling center, government employee Bassem Badran said he hoped the new chamber would help improve the economic situation.
“We are always hopeful that in each phase good will come to this country, that there will be tangible steps to have real improvements for the economic and living conditions of Syrian citizens.”
The ruling Baath Party, led by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, currently holds the majority of seats in parliament. Ahead of the elections, the party undertook significant reshuffling among its candidates.
After casting his ballot in Damascus, the president spoke to reporters about the vote and how the parliament could be the place for a national dialogue in the country.
He also spoke about attempts for reconciliation with Turkiye, which has backed opposition fighters since the start of Syria’s conflict 13 years ago. He noted that such attempts have failed to achieve goals over the past five years.