Incumbent President Bashar al-Assad has won Syria's presidential election and will run for another seven-year term. Assad has received 95.1% of the vote.
Noting that Assad has been elected president three times before. In March 2011, the regime's use of force against pro-democracy protesters led to a 10-year civil war. About 400,000 people have been killed over the years, and millions have been forced to flee their homes.
According to some sources, the last elections did not pass without protests. Protests took place in Idlib, Latakia and Umayyad Square in the capital, Damascus.
It should be noted that Bashar al-Assad, who has previously falsified the elections by relying on his foreign allies such as Iran and Russia, is expected to intensify repression against his rivals in the country. the fate of Syria after these elections, the reaction of the international community to the recent election fraud and steps that they will take, and the future of Syria in general, are questionable.
Turkish political expert Irfan Kaya Ulgar in his interview to Eurasia Diary has brought some clarification to these issues.
- Bashar al-Assad declared victory in yesterday's election with a 95.1% majority. To what extent has Assad's stay in power for another seven years shaken democracy in Syria?
- It is clear that the current Syrian government has rigged these elections. But this is nothing new for the country. Such games have been organised since the 1960s. For example, Assad's father, Hafez al-Assad, seized power in a coup.
If looked in depth, Assad's election results are illegitimate and it is questionable whether he will remain in power for another seven years. Of course, the most accurate future political processes will show this.
As for the election results, the incumbent's opponent, Parliament Speaker Hamoude Sabbah, lost to Assad, who is in fact the only player. In fact, there was no opposition party in Syria to participate in the elections. Most of them were persecuted and exiled. The only opponents in the election were Abdullah Selam Abdullah, a member of the ruling party, and Mahmoud Ahmed Marai, a marginal party leader, to show a majority.
I can say that the elections in Syria do not comply with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254, and in general, the results are completely contrary to international law. The most tragic thing is that more than 11 million citizens of the country take refuge in neighbouring countries as exiles.
In general, although it is a bitter truth that the elections in Syria have been postponed, I do not agree with the opinion that this will completely shake the democratic parties in the country. In any case, there has never been a democracy or democratic government in the country. The elections were held to ensure the legitimacy of the Nusayri minority dictatorship, and as noted by all independent observers, there are no real elections. In short, it is a game that happens.
- During the rule of Bashar al-Assad, Syria experienced a civil war, the country collapsed, disintegrated, dragged into an economic crisis. What awaits Syria after that?
- It is unknown what the future of Syria will be. This will be shown by political processes. There is currently a US-backed "Syrian Democratic Forces" of Kurdish separatists defending itself in the north of the country. These are the forces of the PKK terrorist organisation operating in Syria. Currently, there is a confrontation between them and the regime. What kind of compromise or disagreement there will be in the future will depend on the position of the United States.
On the other hand, 4-5 million dissidents live in a narrow area in Idlib with great difficulty and due to the Turkish humanitarian aid. There are 11 million refugees outside the country. For them to return home safely, there must be political stability, a pluralistic structure and peace. However, the current situation does not reflect that the issue will change to normal.
In addition, the Golan Heights, a part of the country close to Israel, has been under occupation since 1967. It seems that Syria's future will largely be shaped by foreign policy. At this point, we know that Turkey wants to normalise the country and form a democratic political structure. It is unclear when the Syrian conflict will end. At the end of this dark tunnel, which stretches forward, there is still no light.
- Gaining 95.1% of the vote in the political arena is considered very rare. Assad, who has so many refugees and opposition in his country, once again cast a shadow over the election results by announcing that he received over 95 percent of the vote in yesterday's election. Do you think Assad can be accepted by the world after that?
- This category of election results can be seen in communist countries, dynasties and one-party governments. Indeed, in this regard, Syria has once again shown the world what category it is in the election results. The fact that the majority of voters gather around a single leader does not mean that the country has a strong leadership or democracy. This is a sign of weakness and authoritarian rule. I assume democratic countries in the world will not take these elections seriously, because democracy is not expected from Syria. As I said earlier, Russia seems to be the strongest foreign supporter of the Assad regime. However, other actors are expected to emerge or demonstrate their position on Syria in the coming periods.
Elnur Enveroglu
