TASS, September 16. The first municipal elections began in Syria on Sunday in seven years of conflict, according to the state agency SANA.

More than 6,500 polling sites opened at 07:00 local time and will close at 19:00. If necessary, working hours can be increased by 5 hours.

More than 40,000 candidates are competing in 88 electoral districts. It was reported earlier that the Syrian authorities have completed preparations and took all measures to ensure the security of voters.</s>Kurds opt out of first local elections in Syria since 2011

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria is holding its first municipal elections since 2011 amid tensions with the country's self-administered Kurdish region, which is refusing to allow polls.

Polls opened Sunday, with more than 40,000 candidates competing for 18,478 council seats, according to the Ministry of Local Administration.

They are the first municipal elections held since Syria descended into civil war. They are also the broadest elections to be held since 2011 as the government continues to recover territory from the opposition in the ongoing war.

Presidential elections were held in 2014 in limited areas of government control.

The Kurdish-led self-administration is refusing to include north Syria in the elections. Its officials say they want a federalized Syria that respects their autonomy from Damascus.</s>DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria is holding its first municipal elections since 2011 amid tensions with the country’s self-administered Kurdish region, which is refusing to allow polls.

Polls opened Sunday, with more than 40,000 candidates competing for 18,478 council seats, according to the Ministry of Local Administration.

They are the first municipal elections held since Syria descended into civil war. They are also the broadest elections to be held since 2011 as the government continues to recover territory from the opposition in the ongoing war.

Presidential elections were held in 2014 in limited areas of government control.

The Kurdish-led self-administration is refusing to include north Syria in the elections. Its officials say they want a federalized Syria that respects their autonomy from Damascus.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Syria last held local elections in December 2011, just nine months into the conflict. It held parliamentary elections in 2016 and a presidential vote in 2014 that renewed Assad's reign for another seven years

Syrians in government-controlled areas cast their ballots on Sunday in the first local elections there since 2011, when the country's ill-fated uprising erupted against President Bashar al-Assad's rule. Seven years since the last vote, the conflict has killed more than 360,000 people, forced millions more to flee, and left the economy in tatters.

Now, Syrian troops are back in control of around two-thirds of the country after a string of victories, most recently around Damascus and in southern Syria. Polling booths opened at 7:00 am (local time) across government-held parts of the country and will be open for 12 hours, with a potential five-hour extension depending on turnout, reported state news agency SANA. It said more than 40,000 candidates would compete for 18,478 seats on local administrative councils. In Damascus, election posters mostly featuring incumbents were plastered across public squares, including in the Old City. Mohammad Kabbadi, a 42-year-old government employee, cast his ballot in the Bab Sharqi district of the capital for a candidate from his neighbourhood.

"I know exactly who I am going to vote for -- he's young, active and his victory will bring good things to residents of this area," said Kabbadi. There appeared to be fewer people heading to the polls than in previous presidential or parliamentary elections, particularly as Sunday was a regular work day. Still, Syrian state television broadcast footage of voters around Damascus and in the coastal government bastions of Tartus and Latakia.

They dropped their ballots into plastic boxes as election officials looked on. The channel also showed images of voting in Deir Ezzor, the eastern city recaptured in full last year by Syrian troops after fierce battles against the Islamic State group. No voting was taking place in areas outside government control, including Kurdish-held parts of the northeast and the largest rebel-held piece of territory, northwest Idlib province, home to some three million people. Syrian troops have amassed around the opposition bastion for weeks, although an expected assault appears to be on hold for now as regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey try to hash out a deal on Idlib. A vast majority of the candidates are members of the ruling Baath party or affiliated to it, which deterred some people from casting their ballot.

"Why vote? Will anything change? Let's be honest," said Humam, a 38-year-old working in the capital's Mazzeh district who opted to stay at home on Sunday. "Everyone knows the results are sealed in advance for a single party, whose members will win in a process that's closer to an appointment than it is to an election."

The number of seats had slightly increased from the roughly 17,000 available posts in the last elections, as smaller villages had been promoted to fully fledged municipalities. Council members serve four-year terms at the municipal level and are mostly responsible for service provision and other administrative matters.

Those elected in this round are expected to have more responsibilities than their predecessors, particularly linked to reconstruction and urban development. Syria last held local elections in December 2011, just nine months into the conflict. It held parliamentary elections in 2016 and a presidential vote in 2014 that renewed Assad's reign for another seven years.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever</s>Syrians in government-controlled areas have cast their ballots in the first local elections since anti-government protests in 2011 spiralled into a full-blown war between rebels, government troops and foreign backers.

Polling booths opened at 7am (04:00 GMT) on Sunday across government-held parts of the country where more than 40,000 candidates would compete for 18,478 seats on local administrative councils.

Syrian state television broadcast footage of voters around Damascus and in the coastal government bastions of Tartus and Latakia.

They dropped their ballots into plastic boxes as election officials looked on.

The channel also showed images of voting in Deir Az Zor, the eastern city recaptured in full last year by Syrian troops after fierce battles against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.

No voting was taking place in areas outside government control, including Kurdish-held parts of the northeast and the largest rebel-held piece of territory, northwest Idlib province, home to some three million people.

According to AFP news agency, there appeared to be fewer people heading to the polls than in previous presidential or parliamentary elections.

Mohammad Kabbadi, a 42-year-old government employee, cast his ballot in the Bab Sharqi district of the capital for a candidate from his neighbourhood.

"I know exactly who I am going to vote for - he's young, active and his victory will bring good things to residents of this area," said Kabbadi.

A vast majority of the candidates are members of the ruling Baath party or affiliated to it, which deterred some people from casting their ballot.

"Why vote? Will anything change? Let's be honest," said Humam, a 38-year-old working in the capital's Mazzeh district who opted to stay home on Sunday.

"Everyone knows the results are sealed in advance for a single party, whose members will win in a process that's closer to an appointment than it is to an election."

Mazen Gharibah, a researcher with the London School of Economics, said the Syrian government was looking to use this election to send the message that the country was on a path "towards recovery."

"This election is an integral part of the Syrian government's propaganda, that it's heading towards a recovery, that the community is healing, that the Damascus-based government is still a functioning government and that it's heading towards a better place.

"The second reason it's holding this election is for logistical reasons. After the vast military gains, the forced displacements in Eastern Ghouta, Aleppo, Deraa, Homs etc, the regime is trying to increase its presence in these areas and appoint local council members."

The number of seats in this year's elections had slightly increased from the roughly 17,000 available posts in the last elections, as smaller villages have been promoted to fully fledged municipalities.

Council members serve four-year terms at the municipal level and are mostly responsible for service provision and other administrative matters.

Those elected in this round are expected to have more responsibilities than their predecessors, particularly linked to reconstruction and urban development.

However, Gharibah said with the law prohibiting displaced Syrians and refugees from voting, turnout was likely to be low.

"The general election law in Syria, what's known as law number five for 2014, says the right to vote in local elections can only be done where you were born or the place you have your civil registry.

"So, if you're from Aleppo and you have been living in Damascus for the past 30 years, you cannot vote for the municipality for Damascus, you have to physically cast your ballot in Aleppo to be able to participate in these elections.

"With more than six million IDPs, they won't have the right to vote unless they can physically cast their ballots in their areas, and that's not possible for a lot of areas.

"And with the law also prohibiting absentee voting and voting by proxy, refugees - people living outside of Syria's borders - also cannot vote."

Syria last held local elections in December 2011, just nine months into the seven-year war which, according to UNHCR figures, has seen nearly 500,000 people killed and displaced more than 11 million.

Syria last held parliamentary elections in 2016 and a presidential vote in 2014 that saw al-Assad win a landslide with 88.7 percent of the vote, renewing his reign for another seven years.</s>Kurds opt out of first local elections in Syria since 2011

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria held its first municipal elections since 2011 on Sunday, amid tensions with the country's self-administered Kurdish region, which refused to allow polls.

Candidates campaigned on promises to promote reconstruction after seven years of civil war left cities and towns in ruins.

"We hope we can meet the people's aspirations and improve conditions and services in the city," said Hassan Taraqji, a Baath party candidate in Damascus.

The Baath party, which has controlled Syria's political and security apparatuses since the 1960s, was expected to sweep the elections.

The war waged by President Bashar Assad's government against local opposition forces and the Islamic State group has cost the country more than $300 billion in economic damage, according to a recent U.N. study. Observers say more than 400,000 people have been killed.

But parts of the country remain beyond Damascus' reach, including the U.S.-backed self-administered Kurdish region in north Syria, which also includes Arab and minority populations.

The region is governed by its own Syrian Democratic Council, which refused to allow the Damascus-organized elections to proceed on its territory.

"The regime wants us to remain under its rule and under the rule of the Baath," said Ibrahim Ibrahim, a spokesman for the administration.

Kurdish officials say they want a federalized Syria that respects the northeast's autonomy from Damascus and guarantees rights and privileges for national minorities.

High-level meetings between representatives of the SDC and Baath and federal officials in Damascus are yet to produce a breakthrough.

Damascus insists it will assert its authority over the whole country.

Hussein Dabboul, a Member of Parliament from Aleppo, a north Syrian city near the edges of the self-administration zone, said the SDC was "linked to foreign powers and to the United States, and it has certain objectives and targets."

Human rights groups have criticized the Kurdish-led administration for single-party rule. The administration held local elections in 2017.

More than 40,000 candidates are competing for 18,478 council seats, according to the Ministry of Local Administration. Polls were slated to close at 7 p.m. local time (1600 GMT), but authorities extended voting nationwide until midnight. Sunday is the first day of the workweek in Syria.

Opposition-held areas were excluded from the polls. Some 3 million people of Syria's pre-war population of 22 million live under opposition rule in the country's northwest Idlib province and surrounding areas. Another 5.6 million are refugees abroad; they were also excluded from the vote.

Presidential elections were held in 2014 in limited areas of government control.

Associated Press writer Philip Issa in Beirut contributed to this report.</s>DAMASCUS - Syrians in government-controlled areas cast their ballots on Sunday in the first local elections there since 2011, when the country's ill-fated uprising erupted against President Bashar al-Assad's rule.

Seven years since the last vote, the conflict has killed more than 360,000 people, forced millions more to flee, and left the economy in tatters. Now, Syrian troops are back in control of around two-thirds of the country after a string of victories, most recently around Damascus and in southern Syria.

More than 6,550 voting centres opened at 7:00 am (0400 GMT) across government-held parts of the country, state media reported. Sunday is a regular working day in Syria but voting was extended by five hours until midnight (2100 GMT) because of "high participation", state news agency SANA said, without giving turnout figures.

It said more than 40,000 candidates were competing for 18,478 seats on local administrative councils. In Damascus, election posters mostly featuring incumbents were plastered across public squares, including in the Old City.

Mohammad Kabbadi, a 42-year-old government employee, cast his ballot in the Bab Sharqi district of the capital for a candidate from his neighbourhood. "I know exactly who I am going to vote for -- he's young, active and his victory will bring good things to residents of this area," said Kabbadi.

State television broadcast footage of voters around Damascus and in the coastal government bastions of Tartus and Latakia dropping their ballots into plastic boxes as election officials looked on. Voting was also under way in areas recaptured by the government in the past year, including the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, recaptured in full last October by Syrian troops after fierce battles against the Islamic State group.

Mohammad Tah, 36, said he was happy to vote but hoping for an improvement in the city's ravaged infrastructure. "I'm optimistic that the incoming council will rebuild and recover the city after the huge destruction suffered by years of fighting," he told AFP by telephone from Deir Ezzor.

East of the capital, people trickled into a school being used as a voting centre in the town of Jisreen. Jisreen was overrun by government troops this past spring as they seized the broader area of Eastern Ghouta from rebels in a blistering two-month assault that left the suburb in ruins.

"These are the first elections... in Jisreen since the problems began," said Abu Haytham, a 64-year-old voter. "We hope these elections will change things for the better, to pave the streets and improve the electricity."

No voting took place in areas outside government control, including Kurdish-held parts of the northeast and rebel-held Idlib province in northwest Syria that has become home to some three million people. Syrian troops have amassed around the opposition bastion for weeks, although an expected assault appears to be on hold for now as regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey try to hash out a deal on Idlib.

A vast majority of the candidates in Sunday's polls were members of the ruling Baath party or affiliated to it, which deterred some people from casting their ballots. "Why vote? Will anything change? Let's be honest," said Humam, a 38-year-old working in the capital's Mazzeh district who opted to stay at home.

The number of seats has slightly increased from the roughly 17,000 available posts in the last elections, as smaller villages had been promoted to fully fledged municipalities. Council members serve four-year terms at the municipal level and are mostly responsible for service provision and other administrative matters.

Syria last held local elections in December 2011, just nine months into the conflict. It held parliamentary elections in 2016 and a presidential vote in 2014 that renewed Assad's reign for another seven years.</s>DAMASCUS (AFP) - Voting began across government-controlled parts of Syria on Sunday (Sept 16) for the war-ravaged country's first local elections since 2011, state news agency Sana said.

Polling booths opened at 7am local time (12pm Singapore time) and are expected to stay open for 12 hours.

"Voting centres opened for citizens to cast their ballots to elect their representatives in the local administrative councils," Sana reported.

"More than 40,000 candidates are competing for 18,478 seats across all provinces," it said.

Syrian state television broadcast footage of voters around Damascus and in the coastal government bastions of Tartus and Latakia dropping their ballots into plastic boxes as election officials looked on.

Syrian troops now control around two-thirds of the country after scoring a series of military victories in recent months, including around Damascus and in the country's south.

Voting was expected in some of the recaptured areas.

The number of seats had increased from the roughly 17,000 open in the last elections, as smaller villages had been promoted to fully fledged municipalities.

The councils operate at the municipal level, and newly elected representatives are expected to have more responsibilities than their predecessors, especially those linked to reconstruction and urban development.

Syria last held local elections in December 2011, just nine months into the conflict.

It held parliamentary elections in 2016 and a presidential vote in 2014 that renewed President Bashar al-Assad's rule for another seven years.</s>Local elections were held in Syria on Sunday under the Bashar Assad regime despite the fact that millions of citizens have been displaced both internally and externally since the beginning of an on-going civil war more than seven years ago.

Only officers, including military and security, who were threatened with dismissal, reportedly voted in the elections. Yet, despite all the threats, the participation rate was still quite low.

The elections, organized for the first time since the civil-war erupted in 2011, were held only in the regime-held areas of the country, which corresponds to 59 percent of the whole country.

According to Anadolu Agency (AA), the elections lasted until midnight, although they were originally scheduled to start at 8 a.m. and end at 5 p.m.

The candidates in the election strictly consisted of people with close relationships with Assad's Baath Party.

Regime forces also placed ballot boxes in the PKK'S Syrian affiliate People's Protection Units (YPG)-held al-Hasakah province. Last month, the terrorist organization detained Arabs who were candidates in the elections.

Previously, the YPG also abducted 17 Syrians of Arab-origin who were local election candidates from northern Syria's Qamishli. However, there were no disagreements between the regime forces and the YPG during the elections this time around, according to reports.</s>Syria held its first municipal elections since 2011 on Sunday, amid tensions with the country's self-administered Kurdish region, which refused to allow polls.

Turnout was modest at stations in the Syrian capital and candidates aligned with the ruling Baath party were expected to win. The Baath party has controlled Syria's political and security apparatuses since the 1960s.

Hassan Taraqji, a Baath candidate in Damascus, said reconstruction was a top priority for voters after more than seven years of civil war.

"We hope we can meet the people's aspirations and improve conditions and services in the city," he said.

The war waged by President Bashar Assad's government against local opposition forces and the Islamic State group has cost the country more than $300 billion in economic damage, according to a recent U.N. study. Observers say more than 400,000 people have been killed.

But parts of the country remain beyond Damascus' reach, including the U.S.-backed self-administered Kurdish region in north Syria, which also includes Arab and minority populations.

The region is governed by its own Syrian Democratic Council, which refused to allow the Damascus-organized elections to proceed on its territory.

"The regime wants us to remain under its rule and under the rule of the Baath," said Ibrahim Ibrahim, a spokesman for the administration.

Kurdish officials say they want a federalized Syria that respects the northeast's autonomy from Damascus and guarantees rights and privileges for national minorities.

High-level meetings between representatives of the SDC and Baath and federal officials in Damascus are yet to produce a breakthrough.

Damascus insists it will assert its authority over the whole country.

 

 Hussein Dabboul, a Member of Parliament from Aleppo, a north Syrian city near the edges of the self-administration zone, said the the SDC was "linked to foreign powers and to the United States, and it has certain objectives and targets."

The Kurdish-led administration itself is criticized for single-party rule.

More than 40,000 candidates are competing for 18,478 council seats, according to the Ministry of Local Administration. Polls are slated to close at 7 p.m. local time (1600 GMT).

Presidential elections were held in 2014 in limited areas of government control.
Local elections are held in government-held areas of Syria for the first time since 2011.