Polling stations across the country opened at 7 am (0400 GMT) for the second municipal election since President Bashar Al Assad came to power in July 2000, after the death of his father.

Municipal polls, in which 9,687 councillors will be elected, are held every four years.

Under Syrian law, only members of the armed forces and the police are barred from voting in the polling, which ends Monday at 2 pm.


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