Assad ready to stage elections ‘if the Syrian people demand it’

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad has told Russian lawmakers he would be willing to partake in presidential elections. At a meeting in Damascus, Assad said he was ready to stage a ballot if the Syrian people supported the idea, Russian news agency RIA is reporting. RIA quoted Russian politician Alexander Yushchenko as saying Assad also expressed a willingness to discuss amendments to Syria’s constitution and hold parliamentary elections. Assad flew to Moscow last week to personally thank President Vladimir Putin for Russian air support in the war in Syria.

Assad said that if the Syrian people consider it necessary, he would not be against taking part in presidential elections.

Russian politician Alexander Yushchenko

Russia began bombing opposition rebels and Islamic State targets in September. Assad said “eliminating terrorist groups will lead to the political solution we aim for in Syria and Russia”. A week after Russia launched its air strikes, Syrian ground troops, helped by allied fighters from Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, pushed their way into central and northern Syria to try to drive rebel and militant groups out.

Middle East Assad election