Syria Will Hold Presidential Elections on June 3

Syria will hold presidential elections on June 3 in a contest that current President Bashar al-Assad is likely to win, extending his regime to a third term.

The Syrian parliament speaker made the announcement about the elections on Monday, according to news reports, while the country is still entrenched in a bloody 3-year-old civil war that has resulted in approximately 150,000 deaths and has forced millions to flee their homes.

"I call on the citizens of the Syrian Arab republic, inside and outside (the country) to exercise their right in electing a president," parliament speaker Mohammed Laham said during a speech broadcast live on state-run television. Read more...