24 Syrians register to run in presidential race

A total of 24 hopefuls have officially registered their candidacy to run in Syria’s upcoming presidential election as the registration deadline expires, a top Syrian court says.

“At 3:00 p.m. [local time] (1200 GMT) on Thursday, May 1, 2014, the period for submitting presidential candidacy ended,” Adnan Zureiq, the head of Syria’s Supreme Constitutional Court was quoted as saying on state media.

The Syrian judicial official added that the court had received a total of “24 requests for candidacy for the post of Syrian president,” saying that it would start studying the requests on Friday.

The top court has five days to decide which hopefuls have the necessary requirements to run for president of Syria and announce the results.

Zureiq also said People’s Assembly of Syria has been notified of all the 24 applications.

According to Syria’s electoral law, each presidential hopeful must receive the approval of at least 35 out of 250 lawmakers at the Assembly to add its name on the ballot.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is also among those who have registered to stand in the country’s upcoming presidential poll. President Assad has declared that he will seek another seven-year term in office.

Syrian people will go to the polls on June 3 to elect their next president. Damascus has insisted that it would hold the vote despite the foreign-backed militancy that has plagued the Arab country for more than three years.

Based on the Syrian law, the vote must take place between 60 and 90 days before President Assad’s seven-year term comes to an end on July 17.

On April 26, Syria dismissed Western and opposition accusations regarding the presidential election, saying that it is planning to hold a free and transparent vote.