Long Queues Formed at Polling Stations in Syria (+Video)
DAMASCUS (Tasnim) – Syrian people are going to the polling stations to vote in presidential election in defiance of threats of terror attacks by the foreign-backed insurgents in the country.
According to Tasnim dispatches, there are long queues of voters at polling stations in a number of cities including Aleppo, Damascus, Homs and Latakia.
The voting comes against the backdrop of threats by the foreign-backed terrorists who have vowed to attack the polling stations in an attempt to keep people at home.
According to Tasnim dispatches, the polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) in the government-controlled areas which covers nearly 80 percent of the territory.
Polls are expected to close at 19:00, but the Interior Ministry has said voting could be extended for five hours if there was a big turnout.
The ministry said there were 15.8 million eligible voters, both inside and outside Syria, and that 9,600 voting centers have been set up around the country.
Though the nationwide polls are in progress, Tuesday has not been declared a public holiday and Syrians go to work today.
Incumbent Bashar al-Assad, Maher Abdel Hafiz Hajjar and Hassan Abdullah al-Nuri- are the three candidates running for the president.
Syria’s Interior Ministry on Monday quashed rumors that the eligible voters could participate in the polls via the Internet in case they would not take the time to go to the stations.
Moreover, the ministry vehemently denied reports about closure of the roads linking Syria’s cities and villages, stressing that such unfounded rumors are spread to undermine the atmosphere of the democratic elections in Syria.
