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The Syrian government and the main opposition umbrella group have agreed to accept the terms of a deal prepared by United State and Russia to cease hostilities in the conflict torn country.
The government said it would halt combat operations in line with the plan announced by the US and Russia. But the opposition said its acceptance depended on government forces ending sieges and air strikes of civilians.
The deal will not apply to the two main jihadist groups in Syria, Islamic State (IS) and the rival al-Nusra Front. Al-Nusra is an affiliate of al-Qaeda and forms part of a major rebel alliance.
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The UN has conceded that enforcing the plan on the ground will be challenging. More than 250,000 people have died in almost five years of war in Syria.
Eleven million others have fled their homes as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and those opposed to his rule battle each other, as well as IS militants. Under the terms of the agreement announced by the US and Russia yesterday, the Syrian government and opposition were required to indicate by noon on Friday (10:00 GMT) whether they would comply with the cessation of hostilities.
Parliamentary elections in Syria to be held on April 13: Bashar al-Assad
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has announced that parliamentary elections are to be held on April 13th. State news agency SANA reported it, shortly after Washington and Moscow announced a ceasefire plan. Assad yesterday issued a decree, which included seat allocations for each of the provinces in Syria, which last held parliamentary elections in May 2012.
That was the first time that multiple parties not just the ruling Baath party were allowed to stand. Most of the 250 members of parliament that were elected for four-year terms were Baath members. At the time, Assad appointed then-agriculture minister Riad Hijab to be Syria’s new prime minister. Hijab now leads the main opposition grouping to Assad’s regime from the Saudi capital Riyadh. More than 260,000 people have been killed since Syria’s conflict erupted in March 2011, and millions have been forced to flee their homes.