DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – On Monday, residents of Damascus believed that the campaign’s slogan of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of the presidential election is not consistent with the difficult conditions that the Syrians are experiencing in various regions and provinces.
The electoral campaigns officially started on May 16 and will continue until May 24.
Under the theme “Hope is in Work”, Assad has started his electoral campaign, which is facing rejection by the international community.
Flowery slogans
Haytham al-Ali, a pseudonym for a university professor residing in Mezze, Damascus, considered that Assad’s slogan does not correspond to the tragedy the Syrians are experiencing in various Syrian regions, especially those loyal to the government.
“Al-Assad used to choose embellished vocabulary in his official and unofficial speeches, as these vocabulary and phrases cannot be used in politics,” al-Ali said.
“However, al-Assad plays the role of a delicate poet when it comes to addressing the group loyal to him, most of which are simple people, who are convinced by his words after he tickles their feelings without offering them any tangible achievement,” he added.
The Election Day is slated for May 20 for the Syrians abroad, and May 26 for the Syrians inside the country.
Constitutional violation
Bashar al-Assad and the two other candidates run for the presidential elections.
His two competitors, Mahmoud Mur’i and Abdullah Salloum Abdullah have started their campaign under different banners.
For Abdullah, he started his campaign under the banner “Our Strength lies in Our Unity.”
As for Mur’i, the third candidate, he started his campaign with a prominent slogan “Together Towards a Participatory National Unity Government.”
Ilham al-Khen, a pseudonym for a lawyer residing in Rukn al-Din neighborhood of Damascus, said that the Syrian president has started his electoral campaign since the beginning of May, and this is a violation to the constitution.
Al-Khen believed that the banner “Hope is in Work” is not suitable for politicians, but rather for charities or volunteer teams that carry out a specific activity.”
“From the Assad slogan, we clearly see that there is no significant change that will happen to the living and political situation of the country, because such a slogan is tantamount to continuing to despise the simple Syrians without any clear vision,” she added.
“Through his media, Assad is talking about an expected Saudi-Gulf openness to his government to delude that there is a political and economic breakthrough that the country will witness, and many of his loyalists believe in this,” according to al-Khen.
Empty content
Kholoud al-Tahhan, a pseudonym for a Damascus-based journalist, considered that the slogan of the election campaign for Assad is empty.
She believed that the current tragedy in Syria will continue under the authority of this mentality that Assad inherited from his father.
Al-Tahhan did not conceal her conviction that Assad would win this election, which she described as formal in light of the absence of any signs that indicate the integrity of the election.
“There is no doubt that Syria is heading towards an unknown fate in light of the Syrian regime’s insistence on continuing its unilateral approach in the absence of a real opposition expressing the Syrians’ aspirations for freedom, dignity and a democratic life,” she stated.
Al-Tahhan suggested that the upcoming presidential election will face the lowest turnout witnessed by the election since Bashar al-Assad took over.