Parliamentary elections announced in Syria by President Bashar Al- Assad

Parliamentary elections announced in Syria by President Bashar Al- Assad

• The President of Syria Bashar al-Assad has announced that parliamentary elections are to be held on April 13, 2016.
  

• State news agency SANA reported it, shortly after Washington and Moscow announced a ceasefire plan.

• The Syrian President Bashar Al Assad issued a decree on February 22, 2016 which included seat allocations for each of the provinces in Syria. The last Parliamentary elections were held in Syria in May 2012.

That was the first time that multiple parties not just the ruling Baath party were allowed to stand. Most of the 250 members of parliament that were elected for four-year terms were Baath members. At the time, Assad appointed then-agriculture minister Riad Hijab to be Syria’s new prime minister. Riad Hijab then defected from the Syrian President and now leads the main opposition grouping to Assad’s regime from the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh. More than 260,000 people have been killed since Syria’s conflict erupted in March 2011, and millions have been forced to flee their homes.

• The civil war in Syria, has led to capture of several cities in the country by anti-Government militia groups and even ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria).

• Russia, Iran and militia Hezbollah have been supporting the President of Syria in his military campaign against the ISIS and other militia groups. 

• Russian armed forces have been bombarding cities held by rebels by its Bombers and Naval vessels, while the USA, Germany, France and Great Britain have been doing aerial bombardment of the area held by the ISIS.

A political solution can help restore normalcy in the region and strengthen the fight against the radical terrorist group ISIS.