Syria will have parliamentary polls on May 7, for the first time in decades, RIA Novosti reports.
About 7,200 candidates run for 250 seats of parliament. 710 of the candidates are women. Over 14 million Syrians have the right to vote.
Most seats of parliament were taken by the National Progressive Front in April 2007 under the leadership of Baas. Syria held a referendum in February. About 90% voted for the Constitution, head of the Supreme Electoral Commission Halaf Al-Azzavi said.
Syrians may monitor the electoral process live. Central squares of cities will have huge screens. The state television allows candidates to have debates.
The Al Vatan paper says that armed opposition is trying to ruin the electoral process. The National Progressive Front receives threats. One of its members Abdelhamid At Taha was shot at Daraa on Tuesday.
The disorders in Syria have been ongoing for over a year. The UN says that about 9,000 people have died and some 230,000 have become refugees, about a million need humanitarian aid. The Syrian government says that over 2,500 law enforcers and servicemen and 3,200 civilians have died in clashes with well-armed militants.
The Syrian Free Army and the government forces are in a cease-fire status, according to the plan of Kofi Annan, special envoy of the UN and LAS.
