Syria Delays Parliamentary Election in Sweida Due to Security Concerns

Syria Delays Parliamentary Election in Sweida Due to Security Concerns
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Syria has announced that its first parliamentary election under the new Islamist administration will be delayed in the southern province of Sweida and two other provinces because of security concerns, Arab News reported. The head of the electoral commission had previously stated that voting for the 210-member People’s Assembly was set to take place between September 15 and 20.

According to Reuters, the delay comes after hundreds of people were killed in July in clashes in the Sweida province between Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes, and government forces. The electoral commission also announced that the ballot would be delayed in the northern provinces of Hasaka and Raqqa until a “safe environment” is in place, according to the state news agency SANA. The seats allocated to these three provinces will remain vacant until elections can be held. An electoral commission spokesperson stated that elections can “only be conducted in areas fully under government control.”