DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The streets of Damascus barely showed sign Saturday a parliamentary election was set to take place the next day.

There were no candidate posters on the main streets and squares, no rallies, or public debates. In the days leading up to the polling, some residents of the Syrian capital had no idea a vote was hours away, the first since Islamic insurgents ousted former President Bashar Assad in a lightning offensive in December.

kAm“x 5:5?’E @H — ?@H 3J 492?46 x 7@F?5 @FE E92E E96C6 2C6 6=64E:@?D @7 E96 !6@A=6’D pDD6>3=J[” D2:5 t=:2D 2=\”F5D:[ 2 D9@A2D4FDV @=5 4:EJ[ 27E6C 36:?8 2D:?8 6=64E:@?] “qFE x 5@?’E @H :7 H6 2C6 DFAA@D65 E@ G@E6 @C H9@ 😀 G@E:?8]”k^Am

kAmw:D ?6:893@C9@@5[ @H? 2D E96 y6H:D9 “F2CE6C[ 2=E9@F89 ?62C=J 2== @7 :ED 7@C>6C y6H:D9 C6D:56?ED 92G6 =67E[ 😀 @?6 @7 E96 76H E92E 92D 2 D>2EE6C:?8 @7 42>A2:8? 7=:6CD A@DE65 @? H2==D 😕 :ED ?2CC@H DEC66ED]k^Am

kAm%96 A@DE6CD 2??@F?46 E96 42?5:524J @7 w6?CJ w2>C2[ 2 y6H:D9 7@C>6C C6D:56?E @7 E96 ?6:893@C9@@5 H9@ 6>:8C2E65 E@ E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D H:E9 9:D 72>:=J H96? 96 H2D 2 E66?286C 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^DJC:2\;6HD\;@32C\56=682E:@?\G:D:E\d7bgdb`fe`e52ef43`34`5eb7ab2d_6bQmC6EFC?65 E@ G:D:Ek^2m s2>2D4FD 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 27E6C pDD25VD 72==] w2>C2VD 42>A2:8? 2??@F?46>6?E >256 2 DA=2D9 @? D@4:2= >65:2 3FE 72:=65 E@ >2AC6DD:@? @? 2=\”F5D:]k^Am

k9am‘}@E A6C764E’ 3FE ‘C62=:DE:4’k^9am

kAm&?56C pDD25VD 2FE@4C2E:4 CF=6[ 2=\”F5D: D2:5 96 ?6G6C G@E65] %96 @FE4@>6 H2D 2 8:G6?i pDD25 H@F=5 36 AC6D:56?E 2?5 9:D q2’2E9 A2CEJ H@F=5 5@>:?2E6 E96 A2C=:2>6?E]k^Am

kAm%96 D9@A3=J D62ED H:== 36 G@E65 @? 3J 6=64E@C2= 4@==686D 😕 6249 5:DEC:4E[ H9:=6 @?6\E9:C5 @7 E96 D62ED H:== 36 5:C64E=J 2AA@:?E65 3J :?E6C:> k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^DJC:2\F?\86?6C2=\2DD6>3=J\D92C22\D2?4E:@?D\cgc`5e554ah64_f4f_b7767echae73_eQm!C6D:56?E p9>25 2=\$92C22k^2m]k^Am

kAm“%96 FDF2= AC@46DD :D[ @7 4@FCD6[ A2C=:2>6?E2CJ 6=64E:@?D E9C@F89 E96 5:C64E G@E6 @7 4:E:K6?D[ 3FE E9:D :562= 😀 2=>@DE :>A@DD:3=6 ?@H 7@C D6G6C2= C62D@?D[” }2H2C }6;>69[ DA@>:EE66 @G6CD66:?8 E96 6=64E:@?D[ E@=5 %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD] r9:67 2>@?8 E96> 😀 E96 724E E92E =2C86 ?F>36CD @7 $JC:2?D H6C6 5:DA=2465 @C =@DE E96:C A6CD@?2= 5@4F>6?E2E:@? 5FC:?8 E96 4@F?ECJ’D 4:G:= H2C[ 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm%96 :?E6C:> 2FE9@C:E:6D 5:DD@=G65 E96 7@C>6C A2C=:2>6?E 2?5 A@=:E:42= A2CE:6D 27E6C pDD25VD 72==] %@ 6?5 E96 “=68:D=2E:G6 G24FF>[Q }6;>69 D2:5[ E96 8@G6C?>6?E D6EE=65 @? E96 4FCC6?E AC@46DD]k^Am

kAm“xE 😀 ?@E A6C764E[ 3FE :E 😀 E96 >@DE C62=:DE:4 2E E96 4FCC6?E DE286[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am

k9amr@?46C?D 23@FE 4C65:3:=:EJk^9am

kAm$@>6 $JC:2? 24E:G:DED H9@ @AA@D65 pDD25 92G6 =2>32DE65 E96 ?6H 2FE9@C:E:6D 2?5 E96 A@=:E:42= EC2?D:E:@? AC@46DD]k^Am

kAmp>@?8 E96> 😀 |FE2D6> $J@F7:[ 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C @7 %96 s2J p7E6C[ 2? @C82?:K2E:@? H@C@4C2E:4 EC2?D:E:@? 😕 $JC:2 E92E EC2:?65 6=64E@C2= 4@==686 >6>36CD 😕 E9C66 AC@G:?46D[ 2E E96 8@G6C?>6?E’D C6BF6DE[ @? E96 AC@G:D:@?2= 6=64E:@?D =2H 2?5 E96:C C@=6 😕 E96 AC@46DD]k^Am

kAm$J@F7: D2:5 E96 6=64E:@?D 4@>>:DD:@? EFC?65 5@H? 9:D @C82?:K2E:@?VD AC@A@D2= E@ AC@G:56 :?56A6?56?E @3D6CG6CD @? A@==:?8 52J] }6;>69[ E96 6=64E:@? 4@>>:EE66 DA@ E96 $JC:2? 32C 2DD@4:2E:@? H:== >@?:E@C E96 G@E6 :?DE625]k^Am

kAm%96 AC@46DD 92D 2=D@ DF776C65 @E96C :DDF6D[ $J@F7: D2:5[ :?4=F5:?8 2 4@>AC6DD65 E:>6=:?6 E92E 82G6 @?=J 2 76H 52JD 7@C 42?5:52E6D E@ AC6D6?E E96:C A=2E7@C>D 2?5 F?6IA=2:?65 =2DE\>:?FE6 492?86D 😕 E96 C@DE6CD @7 6=64E@C2= 4@==686 >6>36CD]k^Am

kAm}6;>69 D2:5 E92E 😕 D@>6 42D6D[ 6=64E@CD 925 366? “5C@AA65 3642FD6 E96J 92G6 366? 492==6?865 2D 2 C6DF=E @7 E96:C DFAA@CE 7@C E96 7@C>6C C68:>6” @C 3642FD6 E96J 5:5 ?@E 4@>A=6E6 E96 C6BF:C65 5@4F>6?E2E:@?] qFE 😕 @E96C 42D6D[ QE96C6 2C6 A6@A=6 H9@D6 ?2>6D H6C6 C6>@G65 56DA:E6 E96:C A2EC:@E:4 277:=:2E:@? 2?5 4@>A6E6?46” E@ :?4=F56 >@C6 H@>6? 2?5 C6=:8:@FD >:?@C:E:6D]k^Am