Parliamentary elections get underway in Syria

Damascus, July 15 (IANS) Syria’s Supreme Judicial Committee for Elections on Monday announced the start of voting for the fourth legislative term of the People’s Assembly.In total, 8,151 polling centres across government-controlled areas opened their doors to voters at 7 a.m. local time, and will remain open until 7 p.m., Xinhua news agency reported.The one-day election sees 1,516 candidates vying for 250 seats in the People’s Assembly. Every citizen aged 18 and above can participate in the electoral process.Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Committee, Judge Jihad Murad, said in a statement that the opening of the ballot boxes marks the beginning of a “crucial democratic process”.Murad outlined the vote-counting process, which will start immediately after the ballot boxes close at each polling centre, in the presence of candidates or their representatives as well as media personnel.The Supreme Judicial Committee will promptly announce the final results upon the completion of the vote counting.The Syrian parliamentary elections, also known as the People’s Assembly elections, are held every four years.The People’s Assembly is Syria’s legislative authority, composed of 250 members elected through a mixed electoral system.The candidates are generally affiliated with various political parties, with the majority representing the ruling Ba’ath Party and its allies.Historically, these elections have been marked by the dominance of the Ba’ath Party, which has held power in Syria since 1963.–IANSint/rs/arm