00:00Syria has held its first parliamentary election on Sunday, nearly a year after a surprise rebellion toppled longtime President Bashar al-Assad in December.
00:10The election was not a direct vote by Syrian citizens, as the interim government says they lacked reliable census data,
00:18after millions of people were displaced in 14 years of civil war.
00:22But officials stressed the vote was still democratic and fair in its nature.
00:30The candidates were voted on by subcommittees, overseen by 11-person Supreme Committees, appointed by President Ahmad al-Sharrah.
00:53Nearly 7,000 people were eligible for voting on the country's new 210-seat People's Assembly.
01:00Of those 210 seats, 70 of them were appointed by al-Sharrah, leaving 140 up for grabs in the election.
01:08The president says this system was needed to establish a government quickly.
01:12CANDIDATES WERE CAREFULLY SELECTED AND APPROVED BY AL-Sharrah's government, and had to meet specific criteria to be eligible to run.
01:39Critics argue that elections fall short of full democracy, noting that the system may favor well-connected candidates, consolidating power within the interim government.
01:51But others believe that the election was fair and a sign of progress, which they hope will lead to economic stability and peace.
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