United Nations observers start their daily field visits

The UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) on Sunday continued to monitor international envoy Kofi Annan's stuttering peace plan.       

"The total strength of the mission as of now is about 70 which includes about 40 military observers, 39 to be precise military observers and also the civilian support staff," spokesperson Neeraj Singh told reporters in Damascus.   

The contingent is to reach 300 by the end of May.       

UN officials hope the deployment of more observers will gradually calm the situation, and a spokesperson for Annan said the peace plan remains on track.       

The US government last week offered a bleaker view, saying it is perhaps time to seek another approach.     

However, the international community remains divided on Syria, and Assad allies Russia and China would likely block harsher UN Security Council measures.       

Since the outbreak of Syria's popular revolt in March 2011, the regime has made a series of gestures to try to allay the crisis, but also kept up its attacks on centers of rebellion.    

The UN says more than 9,000 people were killed in the first year of the uprising.      

Meanwhile, exiled Syrian opposition figures on Sunday urged voters to boycott an upcoming parliamentary election, dismissing it as a cynical attempt by President Bashar Assad to hold on to power.       

The regime has portrayed the vote set for Monday as a sign of its willingness to carry out reforms.    

The election for a 250-seat parliament comes three months after the adoption of a new constitution that allows for the formation of political parties to compete with the ruling Baath Party.       

APTN