Syria's Assad Wins Fourth Term in Office With 95.1% of Votes
Voice of America
BEIRUT - Syria's President Bashar al-Assad won a fourth term in office with 95.1% of votes in an election that will extend his rule over a country ruined by war but that opponents and the West say was marked by fraud.
Assad's government says the election shows Syria is functioning normally despite the decade-old conflict, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven 11 million people — about half the population — from their homes. Head of Parliament Hammouda Sabbagh announced the result at a news conference on Thursday, saying voter turnout was around 78%. The election went ahead despite a U.N.-led peace process that had called for voting under international supervision that would help pave the way for a new constitution and a political settlement.
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