{"id":118235,"date":"2014-05-14T07:39:00","date_gmt":"2014-05-14T07:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/?guid=9b4c5deb38fd307934e1990f1842c99f"},"modified":"2014-05-14T07:39:00","modified_gmt":"2014-05-14T07:39:00","slug":"upcoming-syrian-presidential-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/editorials\/upcoming-syrian-presidential-election\/","title":{"rendered":"Upcoming Syrian Presidential Election"},"content":{"rendered":"
Upcoming Syrian Presidential Election<\/b><\/div>\n
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by Stephen Lendman<\/div>\n
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It’s scheduled for June 3. Aspirants had until May 1 to register. Twenty-four hopefuls did so. By April 28, seven candidates were approved.<\/div>\n
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They included Bashar al-Assad, Maher Abdul-Hafiz Hajjar, Hassan al-Nouri , Mohammad Firas Yassin Rajjouh, Abdul-Salam Youssef Salameh, Sawsan Omar al-Haddad, and Sameer Ahmad Mo’alla.<\/div>\n
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Before May 1, 17 more were approved.<\/div>\n
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Late registrants include Ziad Adnan Hakawati, Ahmad Ali Qsei\u2019eh, Mohammad Mohammad Nassr Mahmoud, Ali Hassan al-Hassan, Ahmad Omar Dabba, Mahmoud Naji Moussa and Hossein Mohammad Tijan.<\/div>\n
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Twenty-four in all will compete. They’ll challenge Bashar al-Assad. They’ll do so for Syria’s highest office. His main challengers include parliamentarians Hassan al-Nouri and Maher Hajjar.<\/div>\n
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On April 28, he submitted his candidacy application as required. He sent it to Syria’s Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC).<\/div>\n
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People’s Assembly Speaker Mohammad Jihad al-Latham announced receipt. Assad submitted required documents to run, he said.<\/div>\n
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He did so according to Syria’s SCC’s Article 21. It pertains to constitutional procedure, as well as its SCC and General Elections law.<\/div>\n
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Syria’s parliament has 250 members. Candidacy approval needs at least 35 endorsements. Residency in Syria for the last decade is required. <\/div>\n
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Assad’s Baath Party has 161 deputies. They wholeheartedly endorsed his candidacy. He’s overwhelmingly popular. <\/div>\n
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He’s expected to win easily. He promised a free, fair, open process. His supporters began promoting his campaign.<\/div>\n
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Syrian television star Wael Sharf tweeted:<\/div>\n
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“Elections are a right, a duty of every citizen. This is the meaning of true freedom, and this is how we exercise that freedom to the utmost.”<\/div>\n
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“This is how I understand elections, and this is how every Syrian citizen who loves Syria understands elections.”<\/div>\n
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Assad’s official bio information says he was born on September 11, 1965. His parents were Hafez al-Assad and Aniseh Makhouf. He’s married with three children.<\/div>\n
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He attended Damascus Llaique School. In 1982, he completed high school at Frere School.<\/div>\n
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In 1979, he joined Syria’s Baath Party. He studied medicine at Damascus University. In 1988, he graduated. During his third year, he joined Syria’s Armed Forces.<\/div>\n
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He’s a certified ophthalmologist. He trained at Tishreen Military Hospital. From 1992 – 1994, he continued training at London’s Western Eye Hospital.<\/div>\n
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Back home he joined Syria’s Military Academy. He continued military training.<\/div>\n
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From 1996 – 2000, he presided over the Syrian Computer Society. He was instrumental in advancing computer technology nationwide.<\/div>\n
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He introduced Internet access. He provided free Internet computer technology (ICTP) training.<\/div>\n
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In July 2000, he was elected Syria’s president. In May 2007, he was reelected. On June 3, he’ll stand again.<\/div>\n
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Speaker al-Latham addressed letters to parliament speakers and MPs in numerous friendly countries. They include:<\/div>\n
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