Assad Sets April 13 Parliamentary Elections
Syrian President Bashar Assad announced Monday that parliamentary elections are to be held on April 13, state news agency SANA reported, shortly after Washington and Moscow announced a ceasefire plan.
Assad issued a decree which included seat allocations for each of the provinces in Syria, which last held parliamentary elections in May 2012.
That was the first time that multiple parties -- not just the ruling Baath party -- were allowed to stand.
Still, most of the 250 members of parliament that were elected for four-year terms were Baath members.
At the time, Assad appointed then-agriculture minister Riad Hijab to be Syria's new prime minister.
Hijab has since defected and now leads the main opposition grouping to Assad's regime from the Saudi capital Riyadh.
More than 260,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011, and millions have been forced to flee their homes.
At a November meeting in Vienna, world powers agreed on an ambitious but yet to be implemented road map that foresees six months of intra-Syrian talks, leading to a new constitution and free elections within 18 months.
22 February 2016, 23:26
611
Vegas has Assad listed at 99%.
Only chance he looses elections is if he gets blown up.
22 February 2016, 23:56
79
texas, you mean that the so called revolution in Syria, was for democracy and freedom.
Now what kind of model for democracy did they want?
The same one as in Saudi Arabia or the other Gulf countries?
23 February 2016, 01:40
62
Sure it will be free and fair. He will follow the Iranian exxample of electeions, starts with approving the candidates and then they get voted on. Still better than HA style which approves only of one candidate (Aoun) before they allow elections.
23 February 2016, 04:16
61
So, in the middle of civil war, Syria is staging parliamentary elections, and in Lebanon they cancel elections, and why? Oh yea, because of the war in Syria, where they are having elections. More proof that Lebanon is a bullshit "country".
23 February 2016, 11:16
61
@texas
Do not even bother answering the Mastica Pasdaran. He loves Iran and belongs to Iran. He wants Lebanon to become Teheran-on-Sea. He wants to bring to Lebanon a back-aged culture. He and his likes have their loyalty to Iran and yet pretend they are Lebanese because they hold a Lebanese passport. To be a patriot means to love their country, put it first and work to make it better not worse to become another Iran....
