Syrian president sets date for parliamentary elections

Damascus, Feb 23: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday set April 13 as the date for the parliamentary elections in Syria, a media report said.

The elections are set for the usual time as Syrian government holds such elections every four years, news agency SANA reported.

The last parliamentarian elections were held in 2012, just months after the adoption of a new constitution in the war-torn country.

According to Xinhua news agency, the presidential decision to hold the elections came just hours after Russia and the US agreed to enforce a cessation of hostilities starting from February 27.

Any party engaged in conflicts in Syria will indicate to Russia or the US their commitment to and acceptance of the terms for the cessation of hostilities by no later than 12.00 Damascus time (1000 GMT) on February 27, according to a joint statement issued by the US State Department.

However, the media interpreted the decision on elections as evidence that Damascus still has its independent decision, and that the Syrian government doesn't count much on the negotiations that take place outside Syria.

IANS