Local elections were held across Syria on 22 December, 2011 to elect 17,629 councillors in 1,355 administrative units. Some 42,000 candidates contested the elections. The election took place on the second day of an opposition called general strike, with the Arab and Kurdish opposition boycotting the election. The Syrian government claimed the elections were a success and enjoyed a high turnout, however turnout in many parts of the country was seen as low.