Local and municipal elections for government office in Syria began this week after a seven-year hiatus, Al-Masdar News says.

According to a report from Damascus, more than 40,000 candidates are competing for 18,478 government seats.

Polling stations opened on Monday, September 17 at 7:00 A.M. (local time) and will remain open until 7:00 P.M.

Provinces registering the highest voter turnout are Aleppo, Damascus, Homs, and Latakia, a source said on Monday afternoon.