Polling stations have closed in Syria, where people were voting for a 250-strong parliament in the first democratic election in decades. More than 7,000 candidates, including 710 women, were competing for the seats.

­The polling stations closed at 19:00 GMT.

The voting proceeded normally and quietly on Monday, said Judge Khalaf al-Azzawi, the chairman of Higher Committee for Elections, as quoted by SANA state news agency. Al-Azzawi stated there had been some minor complaints at the polls in Damascus but no serious violations were registered anywhere.

There were some reports of violence, which could not be independently verified. Witnesses claimed that security forces launched attacks on several villages where opposition members were refusing to vote.