Syria: three candidates for a presidential election without suspense
The head of the High Constitutional Court, Jihad al-Laham, announces the names of the candidates selected for the presidential election, in Damascus, on May 3, 2021. REUTERS - FIRAS MAKDESI
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
Syria is preparing for a presidential election.
It will take place on May 26, with no real stake because outgoing President Bashar al-Assad should be re-elected even if the High Constitutional Court has validated two other candidacies.
Publicity
Read more
Abdallah Salloum Abdallah is a former minister.
Mahmoud Mareï is a member of the so-called “tolerated” opposition and therefore hardly disturbs the Syrian power.
Both were qualified to run in the presidential election on May 26, facing incumbent Bashar al-Assad.
A decision of the High Constitutional Court which examined 51 candidate files, most of them rejected, even if the rejected candidates can theoretically still appeal.
►
To read also: Syria will elect its president on May 26, a "masquerade" for the opposition
Bashar al-Assad, 55, including 21 years at the head of the country, is off to a fourth term.
The election of this month of May could resemble that of 2014. Faced with two adversaries considered as extras, the Syrian president was then re-elected with more than 88% of the votes in a totally locked political system, inherited from Hafez al-Assad , the father of Bashar al-Assad.
The current Syrian president has remained in power despite a
decade of war
in his country, a Syria undermined by years of conflict and by an economic crisis worsened by the Covid.
►
To read also: Syria: "Almost 60% of the population wonders how they will eat tomorrow"
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Syria
Bashar al-Assad