Syria's presidential election taking place on Tuesday has no legitimacy as the outcome is a foregone conclusion, the ballot does not include voters from all of Syria, and it is taking place in a war situation, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said here Tuesday.
"It is a tragic joke. Syrians, and then only those in zones governed by the regime, have a choice between Bashar and Bashar," Fabius said on "France 2" television, dismissing as window-dressing the presence of three candidates in the election.
"The reality is that we already know the results before (the election) starts" and Syria "is a country at war," the minister added.
"And above all, Bashar Al-Assad has been labelled a criminal against humanity by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Such a person cannot represent the future of his people," Fabius remarked.
The official further said that Syria was living "a terrible drama" and Bashar was a "contemptible" figure who was trying to justify himself and seek legitimacy by presenting himself as a combatant against extremism and terrorism.
"In reality," Fabius claimed, "the regime is not so much fighting the terrorist groups, the regime is fighting the moderate opposition - which should be supported - and the terrorist groups and Bashar Al-Assad mutually reinforce each other in a form of terrorism." The ongoing objective for France is "a political solution which is extremely difficult to obtain", Fabius affirmed, noting that Western nations would not talk to Bashar Al-Assad but were willing to speak with some elements of the current regime.
Efforts must be ongoing to avoid the conflict spilling over, Fabius said, noting that it has already affected Syria's neighbors with an exodus of over 2.5 million refugees.
Source: KUNA