Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


    May 06, 2012

Syria Prepares for Election

   VOA News
   United Nations (U.N.) observers examine a Syrian army tank during a
   field visit to the al-Zabadani area, near Damascus, May 6, 2012.
   Photo: Reuters
   United Nations (U.N.) observers examine a Syrian army tank during a
   field visit to the al-Zabadani area, near Damascus, May 6, 2012.
   Al-Zabadani is one of the locations where protests against the regime
   of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were being held.

   Syria is making final preparations for a parliamentary election on
   Monday, with authorities praising it as a major reform, while
   opposition activists dismiss it as a farce for coinciding with a
   violent government crackdown on an opposition uprising.
   Syrian election officials have said at least seven new political
   parties will participate in Monday's vote for the 250-seat assembly,
   dominated for decades by the ruling Baath party of Syrian President
   Bashar al-Assad. A new constitution approved in a February referendum
   allowed the creation of opposition parties to compete with the
   Baath-led National Progressive Front.
   Members of Syria's main opposition groups said Sunday the election has
   no credibility at a time when government forces are killing people in
   centers of the 14-month-long rebellion against Assad's autocratic rule.
   With most opposition factions boycotting the vote, they predicted
   pro-government lawmakers will continue dominating the parliament.
   Assad's government has made a series of reform gestures since the start
   of the uprising while pressing ahead with the crackdown on what it sees
   as armed terrorists backed by a foreign conspiracy. On the eve of the
   election, Syrian state television showed the president participating in
   a martyrs' day ceremony for troops in a mountainous region overlooking
   Damascus.
   Syrian government and rebel forces have continued daily attacks on each
   other despite a U.N.-backed truce agreement that took effect last
   month. A U.N. team deployed in Syria to monitor the truce said Sunday
   the number of observer personnel has risen to 70, with the contingent
   set to reach 300 by the end of May.
   U.N. observers toured several towns around Damascus on Sunday, meeting
   Syrian troops, inspecting military vehicles and talking to residents in
   Zabadani and Madaya. The U.N. mission has said it is having a calming
   effect on the unrest in areas where observers have taken up residence.
   The truce agreement mediated by international envoy Kofi Annan calls
   for Syrian troops and heavy weapons to be pulled out of civilian areas.
   The Syrian government has said it reserves the right to use those
   forces to defend against rebel attacks. Both sides in the conflict
   accuse the other of repeatedly violating the cease-fire.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
   Join the conversation on our social journalism site - [1]
   Middle East Voices. Follow our Middle East reports on [2]Twitter and
   discuss them on our [3]Facebook page.

References

   1. http://middleeastvoices.com/
   2. http://twitter.com/#!/mideastvoice
   3. http://www.facebook.com/pages/VOAMiddleEastVoices/124360240958667?%20%20%20%20v=wall