Polling stations opened across Syria on Monday for the country’s first multi-party parliamentary elections in half a century amid reports of ongoing violence that has jeopardized the UN-backed peace plan designed to end the 14-month bloody conflict.
The elections follow a referendum on a new constitution in February that ended the ruling Baath Party’s monopoly on power, allowing other political parties to run for seats in the 250-strong parliament.
The Syrian authorities have vowed that the elections, touted as a milestone in the country’s history, will be “free, transparent and fair.” But the opposition is boycotting the vote, saying Syria's revised constitution has changed nothing and blaming the government for the continuing bloodshed despite a ceasefire in place since mid-April.
Nine parties were created ahead of the vote and seven have candidates running for parliamentary seats. Pro-government parties, led by the Baath Party, form a coalition called the National Progressive Front, which largely won the previous elections.
A total of 7,200 candidates, including 710 women, are taking part in the polls. More than 14.7 million people are eligible to cast ballots.
Meanwhile, fighting between government troops and opposition units was reported on Sunday in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor, as well as in other parts of the country, with five people reported killed.
Protests against President Bashar al-Assad broke out in March 2011 and have since claimed more than 9,000 lives, according to UN estimated. The Syrian government says 3,000 security forces have been killed by members of “armed terrorist groups” affiliated with al-Qaeda.
The ceasefire, which came into force on April 12, is part of a peace plan proposed by UN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan. A team of 50 international observers have been working in Syria to monitor the fragile truce under a universally backed UN resolution. The mission is planned to be ultimately extended to 300 monitors.
