DAMASCUS, March 2: Syrians voted on Sunday in the first parliamentary election since President Bashar al-Assad succeeded his father in 2000, and analysts said the new assembly could help speed reforms.

About 11 million voters will choose 250 representatives for the People’s Assembly from 4,945 candidates — a mix of independents and members of political parties.

The ruling Socialist Arab Baath Party (SABP) and its six allies in the left-leaning National Progressive Front (NPF) traditionally dominate the assembly and analysts said this was unlikely to change.

Since he succeeded his late father Hafez al-Assad, the Western-educated ophthalmologist has introduced much-needed economic reforms and allowed a measure of political tolerance that Syria lacked for decades.—Reuters