Seven persons compete for one empty seat in the Syrian parliament

The Syrian People's Assembly (PA) starts by the beginning of next month, October, its last session for the year 2001. A session which is supposed to witness lengthy discussions on numerous issues relating to the economic and financial sectors in Syria.

In recent months the Syrian PA ( parliament) has witnessed special incidents embodied in lifting partial immunity from 4 MPs, two were jailed, two accused and another one died. All these require to elect an alternative member for him for the time being. The Syrian scholar Adnan Sheikho is preparing to launch special election in order to join the Syrian PA and to occupy his brother's seat, the late Syrian Sheikh Marwan Sheikho just two months after his death and one week before convening the PA ordinary session. Also competing with the Adnan Sheikho for the same seat are 6 other candidates including the Syrian TV anchor and the businessman Munir al-Jabban.

However, the two Syrian MPs ( independent) Mamoun al-Homsi and Riyadh Seif were accused of violating the constitution and were exposed to partial lifting of immunity. The Syrian PA also lifted the immunity from a third MP over a crime and a fourth because of misusing his post.

Just recently, the privately owned Syrian weekly al-Iqtisadeyah criticized the few meeting held by the Syrian PA which only meets 180 days a year " theoretically), while number of its actual meeting in one year is 66 days with an average of 264 hours annually.