Syrians were voting on Monday for members of a new parliament that was expected to hold few surprises but could pave the way for a constitutional amendment to extend President Bashar Assad’s term.
It is the fourth vote in Syria since a series of anti-government protests and a brutal crackdown by security forces in 2011 sparked an ongoing civil war and an economic disaster that has gripped the country, leading to demonstrations in the south. Got a boost.
Syria’s 2024 parliamentary elections exclude rebel-held northwest Syria and the country’s northeast under the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Collection of eligible citizens has also not been introduced, and unlike presidential elections, thousands of expatriate Syrians – whose numbers have swelled due to the civil conflict – do not appear to be certified to vote for legislators.
Western countries and Assad’s critics say the voting in government-held areas in Syria is neither fair nor impartial.
This year, 1,516 government-approved applicants are applying for the population meeting of 250 seats. About 8,151 polling stations have been set up in 15 polling districts in the government-held areas, with results expected to be declared on Monday evening or in the future.
According to officials, technical problems in the post-election phase in 2020 resulted in several days of results not being reported on time. Assad’s Ba’ath birthday party received 166 seats, along with 17 others from allies, and 67 seats went to remote applicants.
The vote comes as Syria’s financial system continues to deteriorate due to years of war, Western-led sanctions, dwindling aid aid due to the COVID-19 pandemic and donor fatigue.
Meanwhile, the value of the country’s national currency has hit fresh lows against the dollar, leading to rising food and gas inflation. The government had also partially withdrawn its subsidy program for the population sector and doubling of pension salaries on the same date almost a year ago.
Voters advised the Associated Press that resolving Syria’s flailing financial system was an important factor for them.
“We hope that our trust in these new legislators will be good for the country and improve conditions,” said Ahmed al-Afoush, 40, ahead of the next vote in Damascus.
Shirin al-Khalif hopes the new parliament will take active steps to tighten residency conditions in Syria.
“I don’t want to say that the predecessors were not good. We just want things to improve,” said the 47-year-old engineer.
In the Druze-majority southern province of Sweden, where anti-government protests have been raging for nearly a year due to an economic crisis, many called for a boycott of the elections. Video posted online by local activist media group Suweda24 and others showed protesters snatching ballots from a truck in an effort to prevent them from reaching polling stations.
Elsewhere, election campaigning was less significant as candidates focused primarily on general slogans such as nationwide harmony and prosperity.
Vladimir Pran, a remote assistant on transitional political and electoral processes, said the offensive part of the Syrian electoral process comes before voting begins, when a voted-on list of Ba’ath Party candidates is sent to the party’s central command, Allowing them to participate in elections.
“The elections have actually already ended…with the end of the primary process,” he said. As soon as the checklist for the Bath birthday celebrations is complete, “you can check the list and the results, and you will see that virtually all of them will be in Parliament.”
The number of officials making the overall list this year was significantly lower, suggesting reshuffle in the Ba’ath Party.
Maroon Sphere, an expert on transitional electoral and political processes, said that the 169 candidates put forward by the Ba’ath Party did not like the Progress Era, leaving a margin of 167 MPs to propose a constitutional amendment that would have protected the president from treason charges. Could. and veto laws.
In addition, 16 candidates from Baath-affiliated parties are also running on the same list, he said. “You are only three MPs short of the three-fourths of Parliament that is required to (pass) a constitutional amendment.”
In the hour that left 65 slots vacant for far-right contenders, Sphere said he should not be expected to offer a real opposition faction.
“They have all been pre-screened … to make sure they are all loyal and pose no threat,” he said.
Since Assad faces term limits, which would see his presidency end in 2028, the latter’s parliament is widely expected to attempt to pass a constitutional amendment to extend his term.
