MOSCOW, April 21 (RIA Novosti) – Officials in Syria have announced the country's upcoming presidential election will be held on June 3, Agence France-Presse reported Monday.
The registration of candidates running for the presidency in Syria also began on Monday. For the first time in the history of the country, multiple candidates will be able to register for the presidential election.
Last month, the Syrian parliament passed a new law on elections stipulating a presidential candidate must be backed by at least 35 members of country’s Legislative Assembly. He should also be at least 40 years old and have lived in Syria for the past 10 years.
President Bashar al-Assad was elected in May 2007 after receiving 97.62 percent of the vote. He has not yet announced if he will be running for re-election. Last April, Assad told media that he is ready to step down if Syrians vote for that outcome.
The civil war in Syria broke out following unrest that swept the Arab world three years ago, known as the Arab Spring. Armed opposition groups linked to Al-Qaeda have called for ouster of President Assad.
Moscow has repeatedly condemned the rise of terrorism in Syria and has urged the international community to take steps toward the peaceful settlement of the conflict, including holding democratic presidential elections.
