SYRIA: Two Syrian political parties will refuse to recognise the new parliament because, they say, the elections were based on an old constitution that considered the Baath Party as the leading party of the state and society

Record ID: 280754

  • Title: SYRIA: Two Syrian political parties will refuse to recognise the new parliament because, they say, the elections were based on an old constitution that considered the Baath Party as the leading party of the state and society
  • Date: 13th May 2012
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (MAY 12, 2012) (REUTERS) PARTICIPANTS ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE POSTER OF NATIONAL YOUTH PARTY FOR JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BARWIN IBRAHIM, MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL YOUTH PARTY FOR JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT, SAYING: "We will not recognise the parliament at all. Also we are not here now just to talk. We will not give up unless there ar
  • Embargoed: 28th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA26937RQ5NZ9OID3LZKSHCP032
  • Story Text: Syrian National Youth Party for Justice and Development and al-Ansar party, refused on Saturday (May 12) to recognise the upcoming parliament because, they say, the elections were based on the old constitution.
    Barwin Ibrahim, Mamber of the National Youth Party for Justice and Development, said: "We will not recognise the parliament at all. Also we are not here now just to talk. We will not give up unless there are new elections."
    Nine new parties took part in the elections of the new parliament a week ago. But some parties say that the elections were still based on the old constitution that considered the Baath Party as the leading party of the state and society.
    "This parliament will represent the party that pretends to be the leader of the state and society according to the previous constitution. But today, it is trying to prove that it is the leader of the state and society by excluding the new constitution," said Yarob Darwish, President of al-Ansar independent party.
    Voters went to the polls on Monday (May 7) for a parliamentary election the Syrian government sees as central to its reform program, but opposition supporters denounced the exercise as a sham.
    Since succeeding his father Hafez al-Assad in 2000, President Bashar al-Assad has relied on a pliant parliament to rubber-stamp the will of his inner circle in the majority Sunni Muslim country.
    The assembly currently does not have a single opposition member and official media said half the seats would be reserved for "representatives of workers and peasants," whose unions are controlled by the ruling Baath Party.
    The elections of the new parliament were held under a new constitution that excluded the Baath party from being the leader of the state.
    Independent and opposition parties took part along side the Baath party in the elections.
    More than 7000 candidates participated in the elections whose results are expected to be announced soon.
    Opposition figures, however, boycotted the vote, saying Syria's revised constitution, which allowed new political parties to be set up, has changed nothing.
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