The Syrian parliament, the People’s Assembly, appealed on Monday to President Bashar al-Assad to postpone parliamentary elections set for May 7, Syrian official SANA news agency said.
The elections were announced under a new constitution passed last month. The Syrian opposition said the vote would be rigged and signaled that it would boycott the poll.
“The Assembly appealed to the President of the Republic to consider delaying the elections so that the comprehensive reforms are consolidated, waiting for the outcome of the comprehensive national dialogue and empowering the licensed parties in light of the new parties law,” SANA said.
More than 8,000 people have been killed in Syria since protests against Assad’s regime began a year ago.
Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan travelled to Syria in the beginning of March to try to persuade Assad to stop his crackdown on protesters, allow humanitarian aid to be supplied to violence-hit areas in Syria and launch a dialogue with opposition forces.
He left Damascus on March 11 without a deal, but said he had offered Assad “concrete proposals” and felt optimistic about his mission. Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi said last week Damascus was interested in the success Annan's mission.
The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted Annan’s six-point plan to end the bloody conflict in Syria, threatening unspecified "further steps" if it failed to comply.
Russia has pledged to render all possible assistance to Annan’s mission.
