April 24, 2007	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 06, 1428

DAMASCUS, April 23: Voting for Syria’s parliament ended on Monday with a widespread lack of enthusiasm for the two-day polls which opposition activists urged supporters to boycott.

Nearly 12 million Syrians were eligible to vote, according to the official SANA news agency, which also reported that 2,500 candidates stood for the 250 seats in the assembly. Results were expected to be announced on Tuesday.

The vote took place “in total freedom and transparency”, SANA said on Monday, without giving turnout figures for the first day’s vote on Sunday.

Residents appeared split on whether the election, totally lacking in suspense for most people, would bring any change.

Of the 250 seats, 167 are reserved for the ruling National Progressive Front (NPF) coalition, led by Assad’s Baath party. The party itself is guaranteed 131 seats, or 52 per cent of the total.

The other 83 seats are allocated to so-called independent candidates “close to the authorities”, according to lawyer Hassan Abdel-Azim, spokesman for six banned, but largely tolerated, parties operating under the umbrella National Democratic Rally (NDR).

Abdel-Azim said it was “pointless to take part in an election whose results are known in advance... The NPF will come out the winner”, as it has done in all organised elections since 1973.

Even the official Tishrin daily said last week that Syrians “have lost their enthusiasm for the parliamentary elections”. Interior Minister Bassam Abdel-Majid, in a statement on state television, had urged Syrians to turn out in force: “Your participation is a contribution to consolidating democracy and activating the role of parliament in drawing up decisions,” he said.—AFP