Syria stages first election since the fall of Assad in tentative step to democracy

Syria yesterday staged its first parliamentary elections since the fall of Bashar al-Assad under a system criticised as favouring the country's interim leadership.

- Deborah Cole

The tentative transition, which follows more than a decade of civil war, involves local committees selecting two-thirds of the seats in a transitional parliament.

The remainder will be appointed directly by the country's interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The authorities ruled out a direct popular vote, saying the displacement of citizens and the loss of documents during the war years made this impossible.