President Assad Enjoys High Popularity among Syrians, French Analyst Says
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A French political analyst said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is without doubt at the helm of a legitimate government, since the majority of Syrian people support him regardless of what the West thinks.
“Bashar al-Assad’s government is undoubtedly legitimate and the majority of Syrians support him, but the Western leaders claim that he should step down on the basis of their colonialist nature,” Thierry Meyssan, a French journalist, author and analyst told the Tasnim News Agency.
He also pointed to Assad’s growing popularity in Syria, adding, “People of Syria are now supporting their government and have been aware of the scenarios” devised by the Western powers.
Referring to the June presidential election in Syria, Meyssan said the high number of yes votes for Assad indicate that his administration is definitely legitimate.
Assad won a landslide victory in the June 3 presidential poll with 88.7 percent of the vote, securing another seven-year term.
A total of 10.2 million people voted for Assad. The voter turnout stood at 73.42 percent.
On August 31, president Assad swore in his new government, noting that security and reconstruction of the crisis-torn country would be high on the agenda.
The new government has taken office as the death toll in the country’s conflict since March 2011 soars past 191,000.
President Assad has urged the new government to "provide a new vision" and to avoid the "negatives of the previous stage."
