Assad regime presidential election protested in northwest Syria

IDLIB, Syria

Residents in northwestern Syria protested on Wednesday presidential elections currently held under the Assad regime.

Demonstrators gathered to protest so-called "theater" elections in Idlib city center, Bab, Azez district of Aleppo and Operation Euphrates Shield area, which Turkey cleared of terrorists.

Thousands chanted anti-election slogans while carrying "flags of revolution" adopted by the opposition.

Dr. Yasser Kinash told Anadolu Agency that protesters do not accept elections conducted Wednesday by the regime.

"We do not accept the election carried out by a tyrant who destroyed this country, murdered children, forced people to migrate by displacement," said Kinash.

He emphasized that the revolution will not end until the regime falls. "The demonstrations are an indication that the Syrian revolution continues. Our revolution continues in the most exciting and honorable way as it was at the beginning," he said.

Muvafak Hussein said the protest was a message to the world.

“We have gathered to announce to the world that we do not accept the elections organized by Assad. We reject the system that killed us and displaced us,” he said.

For Halid Husum, the regime has its hand on the scales in its favor. "We do not accept the so-called presidential elections of Assad, who is the servant of Iran and Russia. This is a one-sided election. It is not an election that covers the whole of Syria,” said Husum.

Nuri Mohamad said that demonstrators reject the so-called elections that "are not in a democratic environment and do not cover the whole of Syria."

The Assad’s elections, in which the regime seeks legitimacy, also disregard UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

UNSC resolution 2254 adopted in December 2015 determined the agenda and roadmap for talks called the "Geneva process.”

Assad has been the victor in every election since he took power in 2000 as heir to his father, Hafez al-Assad.

The decision to hold elections was made despite the ongoing military conflict, lack of any political solution in sight, failure of negotiations between the opposition and the regime and the displacement of more than 10 million Syrians either as refugees or internally displaced persons.

Moreover, about 40% of the country is not under regime control.

Syria has been in a civil war since early 2011, when the regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Around half a million people have been killed and more than 12 million had to flee their homes in the past decade.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar