US, Europeans Warn Syria Polls Neither 'Free Nor Fair'

Arab World

May 26th, 6:02am

Asharq Al-Awsat

A woman prepares a ballot box during the presidential elections at a polling center in Damascus, Syria May 26, 2021. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki

The United States and several European countries have denounced Syria's presidential election, saying it would be neither "free nor fair." "We, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States of America wish to make clear that Syria's May 26 presidential election will neither be free nor fair," they said in a joint statement on Tuesday. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is all but certain to deliver a fourth term for a leader already in power for 21 years. "We denounce the Assad regime's decision to hold an election outside of the framework described in UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and we support the voices of all Syrians, including civil society organizations and the Syrian opposition, who have condemned the electoral process as illegitimate,” said Tuesday’s statement. The United States and the four European nations said free and fair elections should be convened under UN supervision and "all Syrians should be allowed to participate." "Without these elements, this fraudulent election does not represent any progress towards a political settlement," they added.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2992706/us-europeans-warn-syria-polls-neither-free-nor-fair