MOSCOW, June 4 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian observer mission in Syria has recognized the June 3 presidential election as legitimate, saying the voting process was in line with international standards.
“The Syrian election was a success. It was legitimate, and we had no legal objections,” said Alexei Alexandrov, Deputy Chairman of a Constitutional Committee at the Russian State Duma (lower parliament house), who led the Russian delegation.
Russian observers visited a dozen of polling stations across Damascus and other cities in Syria. The delegation included five Russian lawmakers, a member of Russia’s Central Elections Committee, as well as a group of law experts.
The election was organized at a high level in accordance with international laws and overseen by the Supreme Constitutional Court, according to the lawmaker.
Alexandrov stressed the first-ever competitive election in Syria was clearly a sign of seismic shifts in the Arab republic which is transiting to democracy. He reminded that Syria has been keeping up with the United Nations' schedule on chemical arms destruction.
Polling stations opened in Syria Tuesday amid a three-year civil war that killed tens of thousands of people and drove millions out of the country.
Three candidates ran for the presidency, including incumbent President Bashar Assad and two others, namely Maher Abdul-Hafiz Hajjar, 43, an ex-Communist Party activist and member of parliament; and Hassan Abdullah Nouri, 54, a Damascus native and former lawmaker, who previously headed Syria’s Chamber of Industry.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said that a coalition government with opposition members may be created in Syria after the presidential election.
