On 26 May 2021, Syria organized a presidential election on its territory and in all of its embassies.

The United States and its allies have dubbed this election, like the previous one, “neither free nor fair”. They were convinced that the Syrians who had fled abroad (mainly to Lebanon and Jordan) were hostile to the Republic (known as the “Bashar regime”). They therefore demanded that polling stations be opened abroad. People were thus able to vote on Friday, except in Jordan where Syrians are parked in camps and cannot move. What did take place, on the other hand, was a vast movement of Syrians in Lebanon eager to vote in their embassy.

Thugs sent in by the Lebanese Forces attacked buses of Syrians on their way to the embassy, injuring some of them. Their leader, Samir Geagea, declared that Syrians who vote for al-Assad must be expelled from Lebanon. The Syrian Social Nationalist Party PSNS, operating in several countries in the region, then organized a para-military parade in Hamra (Beirut) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the end of Israel’s occupation. Its activists chanted death threats against pro-Israeli Geagea, who filed a complaint.

On its part, Canada denounced the “regime” which “continues to terrorize its electorate with chemical weapons” (sic).

Interviewed at his polling station, the nonchalant, outgoing President Bashar al-Assad was amused by Western recriminations. He ironically pointed out that all the observers who were present during the last election, like this time, unanimously agree that the ballot is perfectly fair.

Doing an about turn, the West is now saying that whatever the vote, it is not acceptable until such time as a new constitution has been negotiated with the opposition they had armed. This was their position during the war, but the armed opposition no longer exists.