[OS] SYRIA/CT - Syrians Flock to Election Polls to Elect
Representatives to Local Administration Councils


2 articles
Syrians Flock to Election Polls to Elect Representatives to Local
Administration Councils

12/12/11

http://www.sana.sy/eng/21/2011/12/12/387681.htm

GOVERNORATES, (SANA)- Syrians all over the country flocked to elections
polls at 7:00 o'clock local time (5:00 am GMT) Monday to elect their
representatives to the Local Administration Councils (LAC).

LAC elections, in the framework of the ongoing process of building
institutions, promoting democracy and achieving the comprehensive reform
process led by President Bashar al-Assad, are in implementation of the new
Local Administration Law- Decree No. 107- issued by President Bashar
al-Assad last August .

The elections are further a first practical implementation of the
legislative law No. 101 for 2011 on for the General Elections Law which
constitutes the cornerstone of the organization of the elections of the
members of the People's Assembly and the local councils in Syria.

The elections also guarantee the integrity of the electoral process, the
right of the candidates to supervise it and ensure full judicial
supervision of the voters on the electoral process and their freedom to
exercise their electoral right in free and fair atmospheres.

42889 candidates compete for 17588 seats in 1337 administrative units,
including 154 cities, 502 towns and 681 municipalities.

The number of the electoral centers is 9849, two ballot boxes in each,
where electors vote for their candidates for the administrative unit, and
an election committee consisting of a head and two members supervises the
process.

Safar: Local Administration Elections Come within New Mechanism, Allow
wide Participation of the Citizens

Prime Minister Dr. Adel Safar participated in the elections of the 10th
term of the Local administration Councils at the al-Wehda Establishment
for Printing and Publishing electoral center.

In a statement to Press, Dr. Safar said that these elections are held
without the lists of National Progressive Front to give the opportunity to
all citizens and achieve wide participation.

He added that the elections also come within new mechanism in the light of
the Local Administration new law which enhanced the principle of
decentralization and gave the citizens bigger freedom in practicing their
efficient role in the economic, social and cultural domains at the level
of their governorates.

He pointed out that the electors play an important role in drawing the
policies of their regions as the election has become "a duty and right of
all citizens".

Premier Safar indicated that the elections come within a new law giving
the opportunity to elect freely and in a democratic way through the full
supervision of judicial authority on the election process without any
interference of the executive authority.

He stressed that the government relies on these elections to bring
conscious leaderships who are able to manage the affairs of their regions
and governorates.

Safar stressed that these elections constitute genuine opportunity to
elect representatives who are able to fulfill the aspirations of the
citizens in improving services and developing various regions".

He added that Syria is witnessing a critical stage and we should unify our
efforts to protect our homeland in face of the conspiratorial schemes.

Minister of Local Administration Omar Ghalawanji and Information Minister
Adnan Mahmoud also voted at al-Wehda electoral center.

For his part, Minister of Information Adnan Mahmoud said that conducting
elections of local administration councils as scheduled in the current
stage reflects the Syrian people's determination to move forward in the
political, social and economical reform process to build modern Syria in
line with their aspirations despite the events taking place in the
country.

Speaker of People's Assembly Mahmoud al-Abrash, participating in the
electoral process, said that the elections constitute an important and
essential pillar of the reform and development process, hoping that there
will be high percentage of voters.

Assistant Interior Minister for Civil Affairs, Hassan Jalali, said
yesterday in a statement to SANA that the electors will be using the
identity card for voting, according to Decree No. 125 for 2011 for those
who are 18 years of age and above.

Jalali said that the ministry has provided all required equipment to the
Local Administration Ministry in order to make the election process a
success, providing 7340 ballot boxes and invisible ink, which is used for
the first time in the elections to ensure the creditability of the
process.

In Damascus Countryside, the number of candidates reached 4138 competing
for 1927 seats, and the electoral centers are 703.

The number of candidates in Damascus is 425 competing for 100 seats, while
the number of electoral centers is 585.

In Aleppo, the number of candidates reached 7805 competing for 2283 seats.
The number of electoral centers is 818 in the city of Aleppo and 1202 in
its countryside.

The province's data indicate that 1286 candidates hold university
certificates, MAs and PhDs. In Quneitra Province, 812 candidates, 262
holding university certificates, are running the elections to win 330
seats.

In Hama, 3667 candidates are to compete for 1997 seats, more than 55% of
whom are holders of university or intermediate institutes certificates.

In Tartous, the number of candidates are 3107 competing for 950 seats.

In Sweida, 1603 candidates, half of them hold university certificates, are
participating through 302 electoral centers to win 645 seats.

In Lattakia, 3440 candidates are participating in the elections through
846 electoral centers.

In Daraa, the number of candidates reached 1873, with 410 electoral
centers and 1043 seats.

In Homs, 3500 candidates are running the elections through 611 electoral
centers to win the 1496 seats allocated to the province.

In Raqqa, 2500 candidates are to compete for 487 seats through 459
electoral centers.

Deir Ezzor has 3314 candidates, 1362 seats and 599 electoral centers.

Candidates in Idleb are 2468 competing for 1907 seats, and the number of
electoral centers is 898.

In Hasaka, elections at 850 electoral centers will decide who, out of 4353
candidates, will occupy the 1742 seats.

His Excellency President Bashar al-Assad on October 5th issued decree No.
391 for 2011 on specifying Monday, December 12th, 2011 as the date to
conduct LAC elections. Minister of Local Administration Omar Ibrahim
Ghalawanji, in a statement to SANA, underscored that the new Local
Administration Law will have positive significant reflections through the
election of well-qualified and experienced members who will work on
upgrading the service and development situation at the local units.

On August 23, H.E. President al-Assad issued Legislative Decree No. 107
for 2011 on the local administration law.

The law has five goals. The first goal is applying decentralization of
authorities and responsibilities and placing them in the hands of the
people to achieve democracy, while the second goal is establishing
administrative units capable of devising and implementing development
plans for local communities efficiently and effectively.

The third goal is boosting financial revenues of administrative locals to
enable them to pursue their developmental and services roles, and the
fourth goal is improving society at local levels and achieving balance
growth and equal opportunities among areas through cooperation among
administrative units, while the fifth goal is simplifying procedures for
providing services to citizens via establishing services centers.

Minister Ghalawanji described the law as "a quantum leap and "a new
framework for the concept of local administration in Syria in line with
the progressing reform process as it meets the local and future needs of
society.

The new law provided for creating new job positions including that of the
governorate secretary general, the city's director and the town's director
with the aim of finding legal reference at the administrative units and
enhancing decentralization, allocating 25 % of the governorate's budget to
establish investment projects to boost the financial revenues of the
administrative units in the governorate.

Conflicting reports on voter turnout in Syrian municipal polls

12/12/11

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1680307.php/LEAD-Conflicting-reports-on-voter-turnout-in-Syrian-municipal-polls

Beirut - Syrians went to the polls Monday to cast their votes in municipal
elections, amid conflicting reports between pro-government media and
activists regarding the turnout.

Despite the tight security measures around the polling stations, the
state-run Syrian News Agency (SANA) said clashes erupted between 'gunmen
and a group of law-enforcement personnel in Sham al-Golan, in the southern
Daraa Province.'

'The clash which was aimed at disrupting the peaceful election day,
resulted in the killing of three law-enforcement personal,' the agency
said without elaborating.

State television showed long queues of people at polling stations, saying
people across Syria were casting their ballots to elect local councils.
Government officials were quoted as saying voter turnout reached more than
30 per cent by midday.

But the opposition, which has called for a boycott of the elections,
played down these reports.

Syrian activists based in Beirut said the turnout had not even reach 10
per cent by noon.

Omar Homsi, an activist based in the central province of Homs, the hub of
anti-government protests, told dpa by phone that polling stations were
empty except for a 'few people who are slaves of the regime.'

'These are not elections... these are called fake elections. People are
being obliged to vote,' Sheikh Anas Airout, a cleric who has played a key
role in the protests against President Bashar al-Assad told dpa by phone
from Turkey.

'I Know a lot of people who were pushed to run in these elections and they
were threatened if they do not run they will be arrested by the regime,'
Airout, who is also a member of the opposition Syrian National Council
added.

Syria is promoting the election as part of what it says is an ongoing
process of building institutions and promoting democracy, which al-Assad
promised earlier this year when the uprising began in mid-March.

A total of 42,889 candidates were contesting 17,588 seats across the 1,337
administrative units which make up the country's cities, towns and other
municipalities.

While casting his ballot, Prime Minister Adel Safar said 'The elections
give the citizens bigger freedom in practicing their efficient role in the
economic, social and cultural domains at the level of their provinces.'

Assistant Interior Minister for Civil Affairs Hassan Jalali meanwhile
stressed that the ministry 'has provided all required equipment to the
Local Administration Ministry in order to make the election process a
success and provided invisible ink, which is used for the first time in
the elections, to ensure the credibility of the process.'

The elections were taking place as army defectors, who have joined the
Syrian opposition, were battling loyalist forces backed by tanks near the
Jordanian and Turkish borders.

According to United Nations estimates more than 4,000 people have been
killed in the crackdown being carried out by al-Assad's government against
pro-democracy protesters.

--
Yaroslav Primachenko
Global Monitor
STRATFOR
www.STRATFOR.com