SYRIA: Parliamentary elections scorned as regime ploy

Record ID: 280694

  • Title: SYRIA: Parliamentary elections scorned as regime ploy
  • Date: 7th May 2012
  • Summary: ALEPPO, SYRIA (MAY 6, 2012) (AMATEUR VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CITY / SKYLINE ALEPPO, SYRIA (MAY 5, 2012) (AMATEUR VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS) ELECTION BANNER HANGING IN STREET VARIOUS OF ELECTION BANNER HANGING IN PARK (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED RESIDENT OF ALEPPO SAYING: "First of all, former members of the People's Assembly, God give them good h
  • Embargoed: 22nd May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAAUL6XH6FCSLXW3LLM7SFG2OSA
  • Story Text: A number of residents of Syria's northern city of Aleppo appeared dismissive of parliamentary elections on Saturday (May 5), as the country prepares to go to the polls.
    Aleppo's streets were adorned with election banners, showing the candidates who are running in the first elections since an anti-government uprising began more than a year ago.
    But in amateur video obtained by Reuters, some unidentified residents said members of the Syrian parliament - or People's Assembly - were unable to speak freely.
    "First of all, former members of the People's Assembly, God give them good health, nominated themselves again. What did you give this country, what did you give the people in whose name you speak? You have no courage to speak on behalf of the people. Any member of the People's Assembly would be arrested if he spoke freely," he said.
    Despite the turmoil in the country, Syria plans to hold a parliamentary election on Monday under a new constitution which has allowed the creation of new political parities and formally ended decades of monopoly by President Bashar al-Assad's ruling Baath Party.
    Authorities say the election is part of a reform process, but the opposition dismisses it as a sham.
    One unidentified Aleppo resident said election candidates had to be very close to the regime to be able to stand.
    "Quite simply, any candidate for the People's Assembly must have some characteristics to be accepted by the regime as a nominee. Firstly he must be a leech throughout his family line, an owner of factories and shops and in partnership with someone in the regime," he said.
    Syria's uprising began in March 2011 with peaceful demonstrations inspired by a wave of Arab revolts against long-ruling autocratic leaders, but it has become increasingly militarised in response to Assad's violent crackdown.
    The U.N. says more than 9,000 people have died in the crackdown, while the Syrian government says it has lost at least 2,600 of its forces to "foreign-backed terrorists".
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