Syria To Hold Parliamentary Elections Once COVID-19 Threat Averted - Deputy Minister

Syria to Hold Parliamentary Elections Once COVID-19 Threat Averted - Deputy Minister

Syria's parliamentary elections, initially scheduled to take place on April 13, will be held once the risk to the general public caused by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has dissipated, the country's deputy Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad told Sputnik

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2020) Syria's parliamentary elections, initially scheduled to take place on April 13, will be held once the risk to the general public caused by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has dissipated, the country's deputy Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad told Sputnik.

On March 14, the office of Syrian President Bashar Assad confirmed that the elections had been provisionally postponed until May 20 in the interests of public health due to the global pandemic. At that time, no cases of COVID-19 were reported in Syria. The Syrian authorities have, as of Monday, confirmed nine active COVID-19 cases and one death.

"Under the present circumstances, we are not allowing groups of people to meet. If we believe that we can ensure the safety of the people going to these elections, then these elections will be held in due course. But we cannot endanger the lives of people going to the ballot boxes," Mekdad stated.

The deputy foreign minister stressed that throughout Syria's long-running conflict, the government has met all necessary election deadlines, despite the threat of terrorist attacks.

"We have respected all election deadlines since the crisis has started in Syria," he said.

Mekdad added that the Syrian government will continue to respect the will of the people and is committed to democracy in the country.

Syria holds parliamentary elections every four years. The last vote, which was held in 2016, resulted in the National Progressive Front winning 200 of the 250 seats in the People's Council.