Syria starts counting votes for first elections since Assad’s fall
(MENAFN) Vote counting started Sunday evening in Syria following the close of the country’s first parliamentary elections since the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime.
“Votes are being counted after polls closed in all provinces,” said Nawar Najmeh, spokesperson for the Higher Committee for the People’s Assembly Elections, as reported by state media.
Voting hours were extended in several major cities, including Damascus, before polls closed.
On Sunday, Syrians voted to elect two-thirds of the seats in the People’s Assembly (parliament), marking the first elections since Assad’s fall last December.
A total of 1,578 candidates contested 210 seats, with women comprising 14% of the candidates.
One-third of the seats are directly appointed by the president, while the remaining two-thirds are elected by designated “electoral bodies” in each district.
Diplomatic observers and accredited ambassadors monitored the voting from the National Library center.
“Syrians are proud to witness their first real experience in choosing representatives for the People’s Assembly,” Mohammed Al-Ahmad, head of Syria’s Supreme Committee for People’s Assembly Elections, told state media.
During voting, President Ahmad Al-Sharaa visited the National Library polling center in Damascus to observe the process.
“Every Syrian must play a role in building the new country,” Sharaa said, expressing hope that the election “will bring the best representatives of Syria to the People’s Assembly to address vital issues, pass stalled laws, and approve the national budget.”
Final results are expected to be announced at a press conference on Monday or Tuesday.
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