Presidential elections in the Syrian Arab Republic are held freely and in accordance with all international standards, Dmitry Sablin, head of the State Duma observer delegation, told reporters on Wednesday.
"We see that everyone has the opportunity to vote freely, that these elections meet all international standards," Sablin said during a visit to a polling station in Damascus.
The deputy stressed that "elections in Syria are a matter and the right of the Syrian people, only the Syrian people have the right to decide their fate."
In turn, Sergei Muratov, head of the delegation of observers from the Federation Council, noted that "the elections are held without any oppression," and there are long lines in front of the polling stations. "To say that the elections can be recognized as illegitimate is to throw the gauntlet of challenge in the face of the Syrian nation," the parliamentarian believes.
Talking to Russian reporters, Sablin noted that filled-in ballots at polling stations are first placed in an envelope and only then are they thrown into the ballot box. There is no voting by mail, as in the US. "We can say that all norms are met," he stressed. - "People perceive elections as a duty to the motherland, it's a winning election."
Senator Vadim Dengin, in turn, drew attention to the large-scale campaigns of each of the three candidates. "This gives direct access to the programs of the candidates. The elections are held in a high-quality, prepared atmosphere," he stated. Another member of the Federation Council, Oleg Seleznev, noted that there were no observers from the United States, the European Union or the Arab League at the polling stations. "It's surprising and strange. It seems that they would be interested in watching," he summarized.
In front of the polling station where the Russian observers arrived, several hundred people had already crowded together in the morning. The overwhelming majority is chanting slogans in support of the incumbent Syrian President Bashar Assad. Almost everyone is holding Syrian flags.
About the elections
On May 26th presidential elections will take place in Syria. There are three candidates running for president: the current president Bashar Assad, former minister of state and deputy Abdallah Salloum Abdallah and the representative of the patriotic opposition Mahmoud Ahmed Mourayi, who heads the Syrian Democratic Front (SDF).
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: YOUSSEF BADAWI / EPA / TASS
Based on materials from TASS