Signs plastered across downtown Damascus tout what Syria's government is calling an historic parliamentary election.<br/> <br />Scheduled for Monday, it will be the country's first free vote in decades and comes more than a year into a bloody insurrection against president Bashar al-Assad.<br/> <br />Authorities say the election is part of a reform process, but opposition activists call it a sham.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) OPPOSITION ACTIVIST LOUAY HUSSEIN, SAYING:<br/> <br />"The parliament will not be legitimate and it will make the political situation more complicated, because all the opposition forces will not recognise it."<br/> <br />One candidate, though, says the election could lead to real change.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE MARIA SAADEH, SAYING:<br/> <br />"Today, after a year of crisis, people are aware that we are in need of a real parliament and a direct channel to deliver the people's will."<br/> <br />The vote comes as fighting between rebel forces and government troops continues to rage in many parts of the country.<br/> <br />Yesterday, violence flared in an oil rich province in eastern Syria and the UN says more than 9,000 people have died since the uprising began in March 2011.<br/> <br />Andrew Raven, Reuters
