Syria’s Assad wins president election fourth time

Bashar Al-Assad will continue to serve as the President of Syria  .Assad, 55, has been president since 2000.He succeeded his late father, Hafez, who had ruled Syria for more than a quarter of a century before that. Syria's opposition called the vote a farce, while the US and European countries said it was not free or fair election, saying it violates UN resolutions in place to resolve the conflict, lacks any international monitoring, and is unrepresentative of all Syrians.

Syria has been devastated by a decade-long conflict and the fighting has left at least 3,88,000 people dead and caused half the population to flee their homes, including almost six million refugees abroad.The election was held in government-controlled areas of the country and in some Syrian embassies overseas.Assad’s win was not in doubt, in an election where officials said 18 million were eligible to vote. But in the country ravaged by the 10-year-old conflict, areas controlled by rebels or Kurdish-led troops did not hold the vote. At least 8 million, mostly displaced, live in those areas in northwest and northeast Syria. Over 5 million refugees — mostly living in neighbouring countries — have largely refrained from casting their ballots.