Syrians headed to polling stations in government-held parts of the war-torn country on Sunday to elect a new parliament amid strict health measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus amid an increase of cases in recent days.
The vote is the third to take place in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011. It has killed more than 400,000, displaced half the country's population and sent more than five million as refugees mostly into neighbouring countries.
Assad has twice postponed the country's parliamentary elections this year in light of restrictions in place to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Assad himself is not standing for election. No vote was being held in the northwestern province of Idlib, the last rebel stronghold in Syria or in the country's northeast, which is controlled by U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters.
"We hope that the members of the new council would work to improve the living conditions of citizens by enacting new legislation," said Samir Sulaiman, a 50-year-old employee.
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