US dubs Syria parliament vote 'ridiculous'

WASHINGTON: The United States on Tuesday labeled as "ridiculous" a plan announced by Syria's embattled President Bashar al-Assad to hold parliamentary elections May 7 in the violence-wracked nation.

"Parliamentary elections for a rubber-stamp parliament in the middle of the kind of violence that we're seeing across the country -- it's ridiculous," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters.

Assad, whose family has ruled Syria for four decades, set the date for legislative elections as part of a new constitution passed in February, according to state-run media.

Assad has pledged reforms -- widely criticized by the opposition as empty gestures -- as his regime puts down a year-long revolt that activists say has killed more than 8,500 people, mostly civilians. (AFP)