Officials count the votes of electoral college members in a parliamentary election at a polling station in Aleppo, Syria. (AP)
Syria on Monday published preliminary results of an indirect vote for a new parliament, a key step in the shift away from ousted leader Bashar al-Assad but one that has sparked concerns about inclusivity and fairness under the country’s new leaders.
Sunday’s vote saw around 6,000 members of regional electoral colleges choose candidates from pre-approved lists, part of a process to produce nearly two-thirds of the new 210-seat body. President Ahmed al-Sharaa will later select the remaining third.
In the days preceding the vote, analysts and some Syrians had voiced concerns that it was too centrally managed and that suspending elections in areas outside government