Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has issued a decree for parliamentary elections to be held on May 7th.

The poll will be the first under the new constitution approved by a referendum in February. But the move has been rejected by opposition groups, who've demanded that Assad and his government resign.

The vote is part of a raft of reforms announced by Assad in a bid to calm the year-long revolt in Syria.

Under the new constitution, parties competing for the 250 seat parliament cannot be based on religion, profession or regional interests. This would exclude the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and several Kurdish parties, who are seeking regional autonomy.