Local elections were held in Syria on Sunday under the Bashar Assad regime despite the fact that millions of citizens have been displaced both internally and externally since the beginning of an on-going civil war more than seven years ago.
Only officers, including military and security, who were threatened with dismissal, reportedly voted in the elections. Yet, despite all the threats, the participation rate was still quite low.
The elections, organized for the first time since the civil-war erupted in 2011, were held only in the regime-held areas of the country, which corresponds to 59 percent of the whole country.
According to Anadolu Agency (AA), the elections lasted until midnight, although they were originally scheduled to start at 8 a.m. and end at 5 p.m.
The candidates in the election strictly consisted of people with close relationships with Assad's Baath Party.
Regime forces also placed ballot boxes in the PKK'S Syrian affiliate People's Protection Units (YPG)-held al-Hasakah province. Last month, the terrorist organization detained Arabs who were candidates in the elections.
Previously, the YPG also abducted 17 Syrians of Arab-origin who were local election candidates from northern Syria's Qamishli. However, there were no disagreements between the regime forces and the YPG during the elections this time around, according to reports.