People in Syria have begun voting in the country’s elections of local administration councils that take place every four years.

People in Syria have begun voting in the country's elections of local administration councils that take place every four years.

About 14 and a half million people are eligible to cast their ballots. More than 42,000 candidates are competing for 17,000 seats.

The candidates have promised to meet public demands and implement the reforms that the government has announced over the past few months.

Syrian Prime Minister Adel Safar

The Syrian opposition has boycotted the current elections, which take place as the country experiences unrest.

Damascus blames “outlaws, saboteurs and armed terrorist groups” for the unrest that erupted in mid-March, insisting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.

In interviews with ‘Israeli’ news outlets over the past few months, the Syrian opposition members have clearly expressed their vision for the future of Syria and their interest in establishing relations with the Tel Aviv regime.

However, Syrian people have repeatedly expressed solidarity with the government. Figures show that during the past weeks, about 12 million people have demonstrated in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.