US and its European allies warn Syria vote neither 'free nor fair'
Diplomats from the United States and the four European nations urge the international community to unequivocally reject the election, which they said, is an effort by the Assad regime to regain legitimacy without ending its grave human rights.
A man walks past election campaign billboards of candidates in the district of al Waer in Homs, Syria May 23, 2021.
The United States, Britain, France, Germany and Italy have denounced the so-called presidential election announced by the Assad regime in Syria, saying it would be neither "free nor fair."
"We, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States of America wish to make clear that Syria's May 26 presidential election will neither be free nor fair," they said in a joint statement on Tuesday.
"We denounce the Assad regime's decision to hold an election outside of the framework described in UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and we support the voices of all Syrians, including civil society organisations and the Syrian opposition, who have condemned the electoral process as illegitimate."
The United States and the four European nations said free and fair elections should be convened under UN supervision and "all Syrians should be allowed to participate."
"Without these elements, this fraudulent election does not represent any progress towards a political settlement," they said.
READ MORE: Syrian parliament says presidential vote to be held on May 26
The diplomats also urged the international community to unequivocally reject the election, which they said, is an effort by the Assad regime to regain legitimacy without ending its grave human rights.
Syrian regime leader Bashar al Assad faces an election on Wednesday that is all but certain to deliver a fourth term for a leader already in power for 21 years.
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 percent 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.
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