Presidential elections illegitimate: Residents and journalists in Syria’s Idlib
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Residents and journalists in the city of Idlib, northwest Syria, said, the presidential elections in Syria are “illegitimate.”
“Certainly, these elections are illegitimate, because the environment is not suitable for any elections. Moreover, the elections violate all international resolutions, mainly Resolution 2254,” Mahmoud Abu Ras, a journalist form Idlib, told North Press.
“How can there be elections when the Constitutional Committee has not developed a new constitution to sponsor this electoral process in a country run by an intelligence security system loyal to al-Assad,” he added.
“These elections are only recognized by al-Assad allies and are based on the constitution of 2012,” Sayf al-Omari, an IDP residing in Idlib said.
“Most of the countries will not recognize the legitimacy of these elections as they violate UN Resolution 2254 that provided a peaceful transfer of power,” he added.
Illegitimate
“All of al-Assad steps are illegitimate, where Geneva resolutions and the UN Security Council’s resolutions aim at the formation of a transitional government or a transitional governing body that paves the way for legitimate elections under international auspices to fulfill the Syrians aspirations,” Omar al-Ashqar, a pseudonym for a journalist from Idlib, said.
“Al-Assad regime depends on Russia, which is a fundamental pillar for al-Assad and the one that saved him from falling amid international coalition’s blindness of his violations and frequent massacres against the Syrians,” he referred.
Hayyan Suleiman, a resident from Zawiya Mountain in Idlib wondered about the regions holding presidential elections in northwest Syria amid continued flight of Russian drones and Syrian regime’s aircrafts over Zawiya Mountain.”
“Thus, there is no electoral area for elections in Idlib and no ballot boxes unless the regime does not recognize a governorate called Idlib in Syria, where more than four million people reside in; most of them are IDPs,” he added.
“The elections that al-Assad is running are definitely illegitimate, and Bashar al-Assad, in particular, does not have legitimacy in Syria,” said Ahmad Rahhal, a military analyst of the Syrian opposition in a phone call with North Press.
These elections are “a play and a de facto power; it is about a mafia and a gang that imposes its decisions on the Syrian people by weapons,” he added.
He believed that al-Assad’s running of elections is “thanks to Iran and Russia. If there was a real popular Syrian decision, then, al-Assad would certainly have no place in power.”
On April 28, the People’s Assembly of Syria closed the door for running to presidential elections after receiving 51 applications of running the elections.
This came at a time when people in government-held areas suffer from economic and living conditions considered to be the worst in the country’s history.
The Syrian government headed by President Bashar al-Assad intends to organize presidential elections on May 26.