Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was sworn in on Saturday for a fourth term in a ceremony at the presidential palace in Damascus, after winning 95.1% of the vote in the May 26 poll.

In power since 2000, Assad was sworn in on the Constitution and the Koran in the presence of more than 600 guests, including ministers, businessmen, academics and journalists, according to the organizers, in a country devastated by more than ten years of a war that killed nearly half a million people.

The presidential election "proved the strength of popular legitimacy bestowed by the people on the state and discredited the statements of Western officials on the legitimacy of the state, the Constitution and the homeland," Assad said in starting his inaugural speech.

The West denounces an election "neither free nor fair"

Washington and several European powers had condemned in May an election "neither free nor fair", while the opposition denounced a "masquerade" in this country hit by a serious economic and financial crisis.

Syria is experiencing a historic depreciation of its currency, galloping inflation and a poverty rate that affects more than 80% of its inhabitants, according to the UN.

The crisis has been amplified by international sanctions and the economic and financial collapse in neighboring Lebanon, where banks have been imposing draconian restrictions on withdrawals since autumn 2019.

"The biggest obstacle now is the Syrian funds frozen in Lebanese banks," said the dictator in his speech, estimating their amounts at tens of billions of dollars.

Under financial pressure, the Syrian government has raised the prices of unsubsidized gasoline, diesel, bread, sugar and rice in recent weeks, while power outages have worsened, with rationing reaching around 20. hours per day.

Six civilians killed by bombing

After having chained military victories since 2015 with the support of his allies, Russia and Iran, Assad has managed to retake two-thirds of the territory. Part of the Idleb region, dominated by rebel and jihadist groups, still eludes him as well as areas under Turkish domination in the north-west and others controlled by the Kurds in the north and north-east. "The question of liberating what remains of our territory is essential in our eyes, of freeing it from terrorists and their Turkish and American sponsors," said Bashar al-Assad.

Shortly before his speech, two missiles were fired by regime forces at the village of Sarja, in southern Idlib province, killing six civilians, including three minors and a rescuer, and injuring several people, according to l 'Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Residents of the village and rescuers had to evacuate bodies under the rubble of a house affected by the shooting.

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