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Bashar basking in Baath Party victory

The Syrian parliamentary elections organized by President Bashar al-Assad's regime consecrated the Baath Party's domination and led some critics to say Assad isn't interested in a political solution to the war there.
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ALEPPO, Syria — In a strange scene full of contradiction, President Bashar al-Assad's government held parliamentary elections April 13 in a country that has been crumbling under the weight of shelling, battles and displacement for five years in a row.

The elections were only held in areas controlled by the regime, which according to Omran for Strategic Studies constitute only 17% of Syria's land area, while the Islamic State (IS), Kurdish nationalist Democratic Union Party (PYD) and opposition forces control the rest of the country.

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