What is the situation around the Syrian elections?
CGTN
After a slight delay, the results of July 19 parliamentary elections have been released in Syria. Of the 250 seats contested, President Bashir al-Assad's governing Baath party and it allies won 177 seats. Turnout was 33 percent, almost half what it was at the last election in 2016, when 57 percent of the electorate voted.
The victors and losers include famous and less famous names. A prominent parliamentarian, Fares Shehabi, failed to be elected in Aleppo and claimed that he was pressured to pull out. Another prominent figure and local warlord and businessman, Hossam Qaterji, who is subject to sanctions by the European Union, was re-elected.
In addition to these two, other, less well-known figures were elected. As the results came in, Syrian social media speculated why this was. One suggestion was that perhaps the government wanted to portray itself as more attentive to society's concerns. Another was that it would be easier to control and manage such figures.
