国际英语新闻:Syrian president sets date for parliamentarian elections

DAMASCUS, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday set April 13 as the date for the parliamentarian elections in Syria, state news agency SANA reported.

The elections are set for the usual time as Syrian government holds such elections every four years.

The last parliamentarian elections were held in 2012, just months after the adoption of a new constitution in the war-torn country.

The presidential decision to hold the elections came just hours after Russia and the United States agreed to enforce a cessation of hostilities starting from Feb. 27.

Any party engaged in conflicts in Syria will indicate to Russia or the United States their commitment to and acceptance of the terms for the cessation of hostilities by no later than 12:00 Damascus time (1000 GMT) on Feb. 27, according to a joint statement issued by the U.S. State Department.

However, the media interpreted the decision on elections as evidence that Damascus still has its independent decision, and that the Syrian government doesn't count much on the negotiations that take place outside Syria.