Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ready to hold election, says Russian lawmaker
October 25, 2015
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Syrian President Assad, seen here with Russian President Putin, has signalled his intent to take part in presidential elections if the people support the idea.
Syrian President Assad, seen here with Russian President Putin, has signalled his intent to take part in presidential elections if the people support the idea. Photo: AP
Moscow: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told Russian lawmakers in Damascus on Sunday that he was ready to take part in presidential elections if the Syrian people support the idea, RIA news agency reported, citing a lawmaker at the meeting.
Interfax news agency cited the same lawmaker as saying Assad had also expressed a willingness to discuss amendments to Syria’s constitution and hold parliamentary elections.
Moscow is a key foreign ally for Assad, and Russia’s foreign minister said in comments aired on Russian TV on Saturday that the Kremlin wanted Syria to prepare for parliamentary and presidential elections.
RIA said Assad held the meeting with Russian lawmakers at his residence in Damascus on Sunday morning.
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“Assad said that if the Syrian people consider it necessary, he would not be against taking part in presidential elections,” RIA quoted lawmaker Alexander Yushchenko as saying.
Dmitry Sablin, another lawmaker in the Russian delegation, told TASS news agency that Assad had said the effectiveness of Russia’s military operation in Syria had exceeded expectations.
According to state-run Syrian media, Assad said “the elimination of terrorist groups” would lead to a political solution sought by Syria and Russia, and expressed his appreciation for Russian air strikes during the meeting.
A Russian lawmaker who met President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday said the Syrian leader’s priority was to fight and defeat terrorism and then hold parliamentary and presidential elections.
Asked whether Assad was ready for early elections, Sergey Gavrilov said his impression from Assad was that “the first aim (is) the struggle with and victory over … terrorism, and after that the elections – parliamentary and president elections”.
Reuters
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My Comment: He will win by an overwhelming majority and it will be clear to all the world he has the support of his people-which makes the United States foreign invaders trying to topple a democratically elected President.
