As of yesterday, Saturday, the number of candidates for the presidential elections in Syria has reached 18, according to what President of the People's Assembly, Hammouda Sabbagh, announced after the Supreme Constitutional Court informed him of the progress of 4 new candidates.

The opposition describes the elections as a farce that will end with the reinstatement of President Bashar al-Assad, calling on the international community to stop this play, while the regime loyalists rejected these criticisms, stressing that victory is for Assad.

The constitution stipulates that the person applying for candidacy must obtain the votes of 35 deputies in the People's Assembly - most of whose members belong to the ruling Baath Party, and it is not permissible for one member to vote for more than one candidate.

People's Assembly Speaker Hammouda Sabbagh announced yesterday the number of candidates for the presidency (Reuters)

Pro forma elections

The opposition criticized the holding of the elections in light of the security situation, the suffocating economic crisis that the country is going through, and the popular revolution that has been going on for a decade, describing it as a nominal election that will end with the victory of Assad, who has ruled Syria since 2000, following the death of his father Hafez.

And as soon as the Speaker of the People's Assembly announced the opening of candidacy for the presidential elections last Monday, applications for candidacy to the Supreme Constitutional Court continued, including a request from the President of the regime (al-Assad), which sparked a wave of ridicule and criticism from the pioneers of social media, and the nomination processes and their owners became a matter of scarcity.

According to a monitoring of Al-Jazeera Net, it was found that the candidates next to Assad are: Abdullah Salloum Abdullah, Muhammad Firas Yassin Rajouh, Faten Ali Nahar, Muhammad Muwaffaq Sawan, Muhannad Nadim Shaaban, Ahmed Yusef Abdul Ghani, Nahid Anwar al-Dabbagh, Muhammad Salih Asaad al-Hajj Abdullah Abd al-Hanan Khalaf al-Badawi, Mahmoud Ahmad Mari’i, Sinan Ahmad al-Qassab, Muhammad Yusuf Ramadan, Khaled Abdo al-Karidi, Ahmad Haitham Ahmad al-Makkari, Daad Mubarak Qana'a, Muhammad Kamiran bin Muhammad Jamil Mirkhan, and Husayn Muhammad Tejan.

Observers say that most of the candidates did not present electoral programs and did not enjoy any popularity or presence in the political and social life in the country.

1/4 Bashar al-Assad is not interested in making the scenario of the elections, which he will win in the manner and result he pleases, even to a minimum convincing.

He is not satisfied with preventing Syrians abroad from participating, and setting up candidates that no one knows at all, but he is working to turn them into a laughing stock and a cynical trend that is followed by the tongues and the websites.

pic.twitter.com/3OdBET23Ug

- Omar Kasir (@OmarKasir) April 22, 2021

Managing pages to fight corruption

The pro-regime newspaper, Al-Watan, defines Ahmed Youssef Abdel-Ghani as a member of the "Arab Writers Union" and managing editor of several magazines.

The newspaper added that Abdul-Ghani runs a number of social media pages that she said are fighting corruption and criticizing poor living conditions, including "your need for corruption you have betrayed" and "left the citizen alone!"

For his part, the candidate, Abdel Hanan Badawi, on the communication sites, publishes pictures of the president of the regime and expressions of support for him, and does not consider himself a competitor for the presidency, calling on the Syrians to participate in the democratic elections in "Assad's Syria," according to what activists said on the communication sites.

Comments on social media

Over the past few days, the presidential elections and the participating candidates have become the subject of mockery on social media.

Syrian journalist Omar Kassir wrote in a tweet on Twitter, "Bashar al-Assad is interested in making the scenario of the elections, which he will win in the manner and result he pleases, convincing, albeit to a minimum. He is not satisfied with preventing Syrians abroad from participating and placing candidates whom no one knows at all, but rather he is working." On turning them into a laughing stock and a cynical trend that is followed by tongues and transmitted by the sites. "

Meanwhile, Egyptian journalist Asaad Taha wrote a tweet asking about who will win the elections, considering that the matter is very confusing.

I wonder who will win the Syrian presidential elections?

Really bewildering 😄

- Assaad Taha Asaad Taha (@Assaadtaha) April 21, 2021

For his part, Syrian media activist Abu Al-Hoda Al-Homsi described - in his tweet - the candidates in the Syrian elections as supporting Assad and not competing with him, mocking these elections.

Competing candidates for Bashar Al-Assad !!!

A moment, pardon those who support Bashar al-Assad!

The candidate in Syria is a supporter, not a competitor !!

He said elections said pic.twitter.com/uQc1dCpFZe

- Abu Al-Hoda Al-Homsi (@aboalhodaalhoms) April 23, 2021

On the other hand, regime loyalists launched a campaign on social media to support President Al-Assad, called "Edna in Your Hand", for his re-election to the presidency.

Laith Shalash wrote a Facebook post in which he said, "Let the world call it elections ... As for we, we called it the pledge of love and loyalty to our beloved leader, Dr. Bashar Hafez Ali Suleiman Al-Assad ... We pledge an eternal pledge of allegiance to the Arab Lion and the protector of the lair."

Basem Omar’s account also tweeted that he said, “I advise all presidential candidates to withdraw with their dignity, the best,” referring to Bashar al-Assad's victory in the elections.

I advise all presidential candidates to withdraw with their dignity better. # Bashar Al-Assad ❤️🇸🇾 pic.twitter.com/aoelD0ezt0

- Omar (@omar_medlji) April 22, 2021