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Middle East
Syrian parliament elects speaker
MPs also took their oath of office, swearing on the Koran or the Bible.
Last Modified: 07 May 2007 13:45 GMT
Mahmud al-Abrash was re-elected as parliament's speaker by a comfortable majority[AFP]

Members of Syria's parliament have elected a new speaker in parliament's first session since general elections were held in April.
 
Mahmud al-Abrash, the sole candidate, was voted in by 235 out of 244 MPs present, soon after MPs were sworn in on Monday, a parliamentary source said.
MPs also took their oath of office, swearing on the Koran or the Bible depending on their faith.
 
Syria's ruling National Progressive Front, which is dominated by the Baath party of Bashar al-Assad, Syria's president, won 172 seats in last month's election.
The other 78 seats up for grabs went to independents amid a boycott by the only tolerated opposition bloc.
 
The front has won every election since its formation in 1973.
 
The Baath party has ruled Syria under a state of emergency since it seized power in 1963.
 
A referendum on granting Assad another seven-year term is due to be held in coming weeks.
 
He is expected to win comfortably.
Source:
Agencies
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