Bashar Assad wins Syria presidential election with 88.7% of vote

[Nemo1024]

Bashar Assad wins Syria presidential election with 88.7% of vote
http://rt.com/news/163696-assad-win-president-syria/

"I declare the victory of Dr Bashar Hafez Assad as president of the Syrian Arab Republic with an absolute majority of the votes cast in the election," parliament speaker Mohammad Laham said in a televised address from his office in the Syrian parliament.

...

This was the first multi-candidate presidential election in Syria for almost 50 years. The other two candidates for the top post were a businessman, Hassan Nouri, and a government lawmaker Maher Haijar.

The West is doing their damnest to discredit the elections, even stooping to preventing Syrians from voting at the embassies.

Start contrast to Ukraine, where half-elections were hailed as pinnacle of democracy.

[DubFX]

If he would win would it bee a good thing for syria? I didn't watch candidates.

[Trading]

Only 88.7%? That result almost looks democratic.

NATO already told it won't recognize the results.

[Nemo1024]

More quotes coming in:

The conflict in Syria has already killed 160,000 people and created nearly 3 million refugees, as well as displacing more people inside Syria.

But while opposition groups inside Syria and most countries in the West have denounced the election as a sham, many Syrians are supporting President Assad and see him as the only option to return stability to the country.

“This is our duty, we can’t allow people from outside the country to decide for us. Our duty is to vote – or order to protect our country,” Usam Hammami, a resident in the capital Damascus, told RT’s Maria Finoshina.

[Skele]

That would be the same reason why republicans have much higher turnouts in American elections... most the demos are just trying to make ends meet and have so many other pressing problems and so many other things working against them trying to keep them away from the polls.

[Nemo1024]

There is one reader comment that I want to repost here:

Templar Knight 04.06.2014 19:48

More Syrians voted for Assad than Ukrainians voted for Poroshenko, and Ukraine has double the population of Syria. Doesn't that say something.

Meanwhile, Poroshenko is the darling of the West and Assad is hated by those same regime changers who didn't get their way.

Poroshenko is using the Ukraine military to kill Ukrainian civilians and is supported in his fight against "terrorism" ;. Assad is using the Syrian military to defend his country against foreign mercenaries and he is called a criminal.

What a strange world.

[beetcoin]

That would be the same reason why republicans have much higher turnouts in American elections... most the demos are just trying to make ends meet and have so many other pressing problems and so many other things working against them trying to keep them away from the polls.

that and it seems like more old people are republicans, especially when you look at fox news' demographics.

[Nathonas]

That makes it sounds like things in Syria have quieted down quite a bit. I wouldn't expect them to hold elections if the civil war is still in full swing. And we haven't had any major war-related news from Syria for quite a while now. As to whether the elections are legit...it's hard to believe that after a civil war that erupted BECAUSE people were upset with the leader, they would then vote him back in with 80%. But at the same time, civil war is a mess and doesn't necessarily mean the majority of people opposite the president. Plus, most people are probably really tired of the fighting and just want peace again, and voting for Bashar would help achieve that.

[Balthazar]

Another option is that the clowns have ignored the vote, while turnout among the neutral and pro-presidential citizens was high enough.

I call them clowns, because they even didn't try nominate their candidates... Shooting is all what they can do.

[Ron~Popeil]

That would be the same reason why republicans have much higher turnouts in American elections... most the demos are just trying to make ends meet and have so many other pressing problems and so many other things working against them trying to keep them away from the polls.

The dems can't even catch up when they let the dead vote each cycle. My heart truly bleeds for them. How will the other rich mainly white aristocratic manipulative bastards ever compete with the slightly whiter version of themselves?

[Trading]

The Syrian elections have the same problem as any elections organized in the middle of a civil war:

1) The rebels will oppose it, because they know only the supporters of the regime will vote, therefore, the regime will always win.

2) Refugees abroad won't have any conditions or even been allowed to vote (2.8 million Syrians, more than 10% of the population).

3) There is no real conditions for free speech or free press.

4) If the rebels organized elections on the territories they control, Assad would get 1% or less for the exact same reasons. Why should any rebel candidate get more than that in an election organized in governmental controlled territories.

As far as I know, the abstention numbers weren't published.

[Swordsoffreedom]

It's simply a double face used to push forth their agenda
In the Ukraine its so they can screw with Putin in Syria it's so they can get cheap access to Oil
Oil politics is a strong factor in both countries

[bryant.coleman]

As far as I know, the abstention numbers weren't published.

Wrong. The polling figures were given in the official site of the elections agency of Syria. The turnout was 73.42%, which is a bit lower when compared to the previous elections, but still very significant.

[Ron~Popeil]

It's simply a double face used to push forth their agenda
In the Ukraine its so they can screw with Putin in Syria it's so they can get cheap access to Oil
Oil politics is a strong factor in both countries

The same can be said of the US unfortunately. We just call it spreading democracy.

[beetcoin]

funny, didn't egypt just have its own elections, which were completely premeditated by the reigning regime? i just saw through the wormhole's ep tonight and it dealt with inequality/civil warring countries. it says there's evidence that the less civilized groups of people, the more the imbalance between diversity.

[bryant.coleman]

Here are my observations:

1. Two of the opposition candidates were allowed to contest, but the nomination of 21 others were turned down.
2. No polling took place in the rebel held areas.
3. Government employees were pressured to cast their vote.
4. The opposition People's Will Party refused to recognize the candidature of Maher Abd Al-Hafiz Hajjar, although he is a member of the party.
5. Some of the refugees were not allowed to vote, although those in Lebanon voted in large numbers.

[Swordsoffreedom]

It's simply a double face used to push forth their agenda
In the Ukraine its so they can screw with Putin in Syria it's so they can get cheap access to Oil
Oil politics is a strong factor in both countries

The same can be said of the US unfortunately. We just call it spreading democracy.

I agree, alas if it wasn't so true.
But your right in reality this is spreading democracy.
And all the wonderful things that pandoras democracies box provides.

Here are my observations:

1. Two of the opposition candidates were allowed to contest, but the nomination of 21 others were turned down.
2. No polling took place in the rebel held areas.
3. Government employees were pressured to cast their vote.
4. The opposition People's Will Party refused to recognize the candidature of Maher Abd Al-Hafiz Hajjar, although he is a member of the party.
5. Some of the refugees were not allowed to vote, although those in Lebanon voted in large numbers.

Made the same observations although point 2 stood out as the most obvious one
In a civil war and holding their own mock vote for those that died in the conflict
http://www.itv.com/news/2014-06-03/syrians-vote-for-their-dead-in-farce-elections/
Basically a mock election

[Este Nuno]

As far as I know, the abstention numbers weren't published.

Wrong. The polling figures were given in the official site of the elections agency of Syria. The turnout was 73.42%, which is a bit lower when compared to the previous elections, but still very significant.

How accurate are these numbers considered though?

I know there are a good amount of people in Syria in metropolitan areas who support Assad. I don't have any idea of what percent of the population actually does though.

[Charlie Prime]

The Syrian elections have the same problem as any elections organized in the middle of a civil war:

It's not a civil war.

It's the U.S. and Britain funding Al Qaeda terrorists to attack a country they want to run a gas pipeline through.

Grow up.
 

[Este Nuno]

The Syrian elections have the same problem as any elections organized in the middle of a civil war:

It's not a civil war.

It's the U.S. and Britain funding Al Qaeda terrorists to attack a country they want to run a gas pipeline through.

Grow up.
 

It's funny how these things work out when something happens to be in their best interest, no?