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