Syria election thwarts enemy plots: Iran MPs

Iranian lawmakers have hailed Syria’s recent presidential election, saying the Syrian nation succeeded in thwarting enemies’ plots.

“Syria’s successful presidential election displayed the political strength of the Syrian government and nation against the policies of the US and its regional allies,” said a statement issued by 230 Iranian lawmakers on Sunday.

It added that the huge turnout of the Syrian people in the election foiled US-engineered plots and strengthened the front of pro-democracy and anti-war countries with respect to Syria.

It emphasized that the election once again proved that the crisis in Syria should be resolved through political means based on people’s will.

The Iranian legislators said the US and its allies must be held accountable for death of tens of thousands of innocent people in Syria.

“The Syrian nation has an absolute right to seek compensation from countries which have dispatched weapons and terrorists [to Syria] over the past three years,” the statement read.
The Iranian lawmakers also expressed hope that the “important political development” would put an end to the country’s crisis and serve as a springboard for its reconstruction.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad won nearly 90 percent of the votes cast in the country’s presidential race. Over 73 percent of the 15.8 million eligible voters took part in the election, according to official figures.

However, the vote result has drawn angry reactions from the so-called Syrian National Coalition (SNC) – the country’s Western-backed opposition group – and a number of its foreign supporters.

The United States and Britain have dismissed the vote, with US Secretary of State John Kerry calling the poll a “great big zero.”