Iran backs Syrians’ election choice: Offical

A senior Iranian official says Tehran supports the choice of Syrian people as Syrians go to the polls in the long-awaited presidential elections in the hope of ending crisis in their country.

“In our view, the presidential election in Syria is an important step in favor of establishment of peace, stability and calm in Syria and is also a step towards ending civil crisis in Syria, and the Islamic Republic of Iran supports the vote and choice of Syrian people,” Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in Ankara on Tuesday.

He said many governments have realized that military option is not the appropriate solution to the crisis in Syria.

Amir-Abdollahian also added that Tehran-Ankara cooperation in favor of Syrian people will serve peace and stability not only in Syria, but in West Asia and North Africa.

Eligible voters in Syria are heading to the polls to elect a president despite the foreign-backed militancy that has reportedly killed over 160,000 people since it erupted in the country in March 2011.

Incumbent Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is facing Maher Abdel Hafiz Hajjar, a lawmaker from Aleppo, as well as Hassan Abdallah al-Nuri, a legislator from Damascus, in the presidential race.

The poll is being held in the government-controlled parts of the country.

On May 28, Syrian citizens living abroad went to the polls at the Syrian embassies in a number of countries including the Islamic Republic of Iran, Russia, Yemen, China, Lebanon, Malaysia, Venezuela, Jordan, Sudan, Oman, the Czech Republic, Belarus and India. The voter turnout was reportedly 95 percent.