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LANDSLIDE WIN FOR ASSAD IN POLLS, DAMASCUS IN CELEBRATORY MODE
Times of India
June 6 2014
by Anahita Mukherji TNN
DAMASCUS: A little after 10pm on Wednesday when Syrian People's
Assembly speaker announced Bashar al-Assad as the presidential election
winner, his words found an echo on Damascus streets. Young men and
women began dancing at the city centre square. Cars whizzed past with
girls and boys waving Syrian flags. Soldiers fired celebratory gun
shots and the sky was filled with firecrackers.
Feroz Junaid (22), who lost his arm in an attack a year ago, waved a
photograph of Assad with his other arm. "Barroh, baddam, nafdik ya
Bashar (We sacrifice our blood and spirit for Bashar)," chanted a
young woman. Basil Abdel Rehman and his wife, Rasha, walked for two
hours to the city centre to celebrate Assad's victory.
Assad won over 10 million (88.7%) votes, while US-educated businessman
Hassan Abdullah al-Nouri 500,000 (4.3%) and Maher Abdul-Hafiz Hajjar
over 300,000 (3.2%). His opponents dismissed the election as a sham
and maintain the narrative in Assad-controlled territories does not
reflect the larger Syrian reality.
But independent observers, including parliamentarians from a number
of countries, declared the polling "free and fair". TOI visited 10
odd poll booths in the countryside around Damascus and found people
cheering and dancing after the election results were declared.
Men and women, whose children were tortured and killed in the war
over the last three years, openly voted for Assad. Many of them wore
T-shirts with Assad's photos. They say the sentiment across much of
the country runs contrary to the Western narrative that the election
was stage-managed.
There has been a considerable change in Syria since the Arab Spring
reached the country with peaceful civil society protests against
Assad's dictatorship. Many Syrians as well as independent rights
campaigners told TOI fundamentalists have since hijacked genuine
protests against him.
Countries like the US, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar back the rebels,
who have brutalized the people and subjected them to unspeakable
torture. Many now see Assad as the only hope.
Residents spoke to TOI about al Qaida forces being unleashed on Syria.
They alluded to instances of torture, cannibalism, rape and butchering
of Syrians by rebels.
"The Syrian population is paying a high price for the unlawful,
unholy foreign massive invasion of Syria," peace activist Mother Agnes
Mariam told TOI. She rejects the term "civil war" used for Syria,
calling it a proxy war instead.
"In times of peace, it is easier to challenge the incumbent. In times
of war, people back the government in power," said California-based
anti-war activist Paul Larudee, who was here as an election observer.
"Republicans in the US are crying themselves hoarse over the torture
and killing of an American ambassador in Benghazi (Libya) while the
US is paying the same kind of people responsible for the Benghazi
killing to massacre people in Syria."
Vahe Mashikian, an Armenian, said Turkish militants attacked her town
in northern Syria forcing 6,800 people to leave their homes. Three
men were hanged. Elsewhere in Syria, there are reports of Armenian
Christians being crucified.
Activist Zainab Morad, who lost her son when her house was blown up,
said Salafi extremists were being unleashed on Syria.
Analysts say the West-backed rebels want to control new sources of
oil in the Mediterranean off the coast of Syria. Others say Syria
remains the last line of defense against Israel.
They say they do not believe the American rhetoric on supporting
democracy in Syria, given the US supports Saudi Arabia and dislikes
Assad for not being compliant.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Landslide-win-for-Assad-in-polls-Damascus-in-celebratory-mode/articleshow/36123630.cms
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Times of India
June 6 2014
by Anahita Mukherji TNN
DAMASCUS: A little after 10pm on Wednesday when Syrian People's
Assembly speaker announced Bashar al-Assad as the presidential election
winner, his words found an echo on Damascus streets. Young men and
women began dancing at the city centre square. Cars whizzed past with
girls and boys waving Syrian flags. Soldiers fired celebratory gun
shots and the sky was filled with firecrackers.
Feroz Junaid (22), who lost his arm in an attack a year ago, waved a
photograph of Assad with his other arm. "Barroh, baddam, nafdik ya
Bashar (We sacrifice our blood and spirit for Bashar)," chanted a
young woman. Basil Abdel Rehman and his wife, Rasha, walked for two
hours to the city centre to celebrate Assad's victory.
Assad won over 10 million (88.7%) votes, while US-educated businessman
Hassan Abdullah al-Nouri 500,000 (4.3%) and Maher Abdul-Hafiz Hajjar
over 300,000 (3.2%). His opponents dismissed the election as a sham
and maintain the narrative in Assad-controlled territories does not
reflect the larger Syrian reality.
But independent observers, including parliamentarians from a number
of countries, declared the polling "free and fair". TOI visited 10
odd poll booths in the countryside around Damascus and found people
cheering and dancing after the election results were declared.
Men and women, whose children were tortured and killed in the war
over the last three years, openly voted for Assad. Many of them wore
T-shirts with Assad's photos. They say the sentiment across much of
the country runs contrary to the Western narrative that the election
was stage-managed.
There has been a considerable change in Syria since the Arab Spring
reached the country with peaceful civil society protests against
Assad's dictatorship. Many Syrians as well as independent rights
campaigners told TOI fundamentalists have since hijacked genuine
protests against him.
Countries like the US, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar back the rebels,
who have brutalized the people and subjected them to unspeakable
torture. Many now see Assad as the only hope.
Residents spoke to TOI about al Qaida forces being unleashed on Syria.
They alluded to instances of torture, cannibalism, rape and butchering
of Syrians by rebels.
"The Syrian population is paying a high price for the unlawful,
unholy foreign massive invasion of Syria," peace activist Mother Agnes
Mariam told TOI. She rejects the term "civil war" used for Syria,
calling it a proxy war instead.
"In times of peace, it is easier to challenge the incumbent. In times
of war, people back the government in power," said California-based
anti-war activist Paul Larudee, who was here as an election observer.
"Republicans in the US are crying themselves hoarse over the torture
and killing of an American ambassador in Benghazi (Libya) while the
US is paying the same kind of people responsible for the Benghazi
killing to massacre people in Syria."
Vahe Mashikian, an Armenian, said Turkish militants attacked her town
in northern Syria forcing 6,800 people to leave their homes. Three
men were hanged. Elsewhere in Syria, there are reports of Armenian
Christians being crucified.
Activist Zainab Morad, who lost her son when her house was blown up,
said Salafi extremists were being unleashed on Syria.
Analysts say the West-backed rebels want to control new sources of
oil in the Mediterranean off the coast of Syria. Others say Syria
remains the last line of defense against Israel.
They say they do not believe the American rhetoric on supporting
democracy in Syria, given the US supports Saudi Arabia and dislikes
Assad for not being compliant.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Landslide-win-for-Assad-in-polls-Damascus-in-celebratory-mode/articleshow/36123630.cms
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress