WASHINGTON, D.C. - VOA reached out to political analysts, bloggers, activists, opposition members and humanitarian workers to comment on this week's presidential election in Syria.
Representatives of the Syrian government did not respond to requests for comments.
., President, Syrian American Medical Society:
"Election? What a farce. Assad will probably win his third election with flying colors. Syrians who are lucky enough to stay alive or be spared from displacement will have no choice but to vote, and vote frequently, for the ‘exceptional' leader. Non-Syrians, i.e., from Iraq, Lebanon and Iran, will probably participate in the ‘historic’ vote to compensate for the 4 million refugees and 7 million displaced Syrians. Assad will win probably by less than 99 percent but more than 90 percent because he cares about his ‘democratic’ image. He is probably thinking that by being reelected for another seven years he will drive the nail deep in the heart of the revolution. History will remember him as the leader who ruined his country and destroyed in three years what had been built in 50 years. Syria as we know it has gone forever because of his ‘wise’ leadership.
, Attorney, :
"The people of Syria have opted, through the representative People's Assembly, to have a constititution requiring direct election of the president of the republic within 60 to 90 days of the end of the sitting president's term of office. This is a decision of a sovereign nation and member state of the United Nations.
"That nations opposed to our president which are bent on ousting him in violation of the U.N. Charter and other statutes declare our elections a 'charade' points an accusatory finger at their hypocrisies.
"If our president, Dr. Assad, is going to be elected by a plurality, then, that is the desire of the Syrian people in a democratic environment which would be supported by so-called democratic Western nations but for the obvious double standards.
"Syria is free of Western influence when it comes to her leadership. We will not be swayed by nations like France, which murdered over 1.5 million Arabs in their fight for independence, or Britain whose legacy of slaughter rivals Germany's, or the United States which killed over one million Vietnamese and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis in wars now declared to have been misguided or plainly malicious. Our elections will continue despite the groans of those whose hands are stained with the blood of innocent Syrians and the Syrian people will emerge victorious."
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, former spokesman for the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, now working as a political consultant and teaching in Dubai, UAE:
"In times of national crisis and wars, elections can be used as an honorable exit to solve political contentions and disputes. Unfortunately in Syria it is seen by many as a show of defiance that would undermine what is left of the Geneva Process that calls for power-sharing in the country and that is endorsed by both sides.”
"You know, dictators are brought up to be egotistical. The entire world revolves around them. As they rule, they become more self-centric as people pay lip service to them. Assad since day one of the revolution viewed the revolution as a personal insult against him as a person. It showed him as incompetent so that hurt his pride, and he then took revenge and destroyed Syria. So 100,000 are dead because of an ego and millions displaced, and all this happened not because of him but rather because of the inaction of the international community. It seems all states have interests in seeing Syria burned."
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, Director of the Center of Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oklahoma, blog author, :
"Assad goes through the charade of elections for two reasons: One, It is required by the constitution. The constitution stipulates that every seven years the leader of the Baath Party will be elected as president.
"Secondly, the process of electioneering, with roadside signs, banners, TV adds, local s, or street parties, in Assad's honor and all the notables of Syrian society parading their support for the president. These create an aura of leadership and invincibility which is part of za'ama, or 'leadership' in Syrian Arab culture. The public show of support creates an aura of invincibility and power.
Assistant Professor of Political Science at Kent State University, author of :