US denounces Syrian presidential election as ‘a disgrace’
The Unhived Mind
US denounces Syrian presidential election as ‘a disgrace’
Tue Jun 3, 2014 9:42PM GMT
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/06/03/365441/us-denounces-syrian-presidential-election-as-a-disgrace/
The United States has denounced Syria’s presidential election, saying President Bashar al-Assad’s decision to hold it was “detached from reality”.
“Today’s presidential election in Syria is a disgrace,” US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters on Tuesday in Washington.
“Bashar al-Assad has no more credibility today than he did yesterday,” Harf claimed.
Syria’s Western-backed opposition also dismissed the presidential election, calling it a sham.
On Tuesday, Syrians cast their votes in the election that would determine the country’s next president for the coming seven years. Voting was extended by five hours because of high voter turnout.
Over 15 million Syrians are eligible to vote in more than 9,000 stations across the government-controlled areas of the country.
Election officials in the capital Damascus have described the voter turnout as great.
President Assad, MP Maher al-Hajjar, and businessman Hassan al-Nouri are competing for the top post.
The US opposition to the election is diametrically opposed to its previous stance calling for an election to be held in Syria.
The election is part of the political reforms introduced by the Syrian government to resolve the three-year conflict.
Meanwhile, the Syrian army has been making gains on the battlefield against the fragmented opposition, and their Western and Arab allies.
Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since March 2011. Over 160,000 people have reportedly been killed and millions displaced due to the violence fueled by the foreign-backed militants.
According to reports, the US and its regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey — are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.