Syrians were voting yesterday in municipal elections as security forces pushed with a deadly crackdown on dissent and regime opponents piled on the pressure with a second day of strikes.
...at least 15 people were killed in the flashpoint regions of Homs and Idlib
The head of the elections committee, Khalaf al-Ezzawi, said “voting is proceeding in a democratic spirit”, and that the turnout was “good”. There were no further details.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 15 people were killed in the flashpoint regions of Homs and Idlib, while strikes were observed near Damascus and in Daraa, cradle of nine months of anti-regime protests.
Opposition activists have urged citizens to intensify a civil disobedience campaign launched Sunday in a bid to bring down the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
Polling stations opened at 0600 GMT, with 42,889 candidates vying for 17,588 seats, and closed at 2000 GMT.
More than 14 million Syrians can cast ballots. Information Minister Adnan Mahmud said the elections were part of a package of promised democratic reforms and would be followed by legislative polls in February.
“These elections are taking place on time in line with a reform programme,” Mr Mahmud said.
“They are taking place although some are trying, in vain, to stop them through terrorist acts carried out by armed groups who are terrorising the citizens,” he said.
Activists, meanwhile, mocked the election on their Facebook page. “The election farce organised by the authorities was a failure in the city of Deir Ezzor where we think the turnout was no more than one per cent.
“The roads were empty the whole day,” an activist said of the vote in the eastern city.
Last week, Syria’s local administration minister, Omar Ghalawanji, said a special indelible ink would be used for the first time in the municipal elections “to prevent any fraud”.
“I voted because we want to contribute to the reforms (pledged by Assad) and choose the best” candidates, said Zeina, a 35-year-old woman, as she emerged from a polling state in the central Ummayad Square of Damascus.