Russia says Syria's Assad would leave if voted out (updated)

Russia says Syria's Assad would leave if voted out (updated)

www.reuters.com

President Bashar al-Assad's government remains "solid" and is still backed by many Syrians who fear those who could take his place, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said in remarks published on Monday.

(visit the link for the full news article)

The more important bit of this article comes in the following quote:

Bogdanov said Assad had promised Moscow he would step aside if he lost in an election.

"Assad told us himself. But I don't know how sincere he is," Bogdanov said. "But he clearly told us that if the people didn't want him, and if they chose a different leader in an election, he would go."

The article also states that Russia still opposes any military intervention in Syria, and that it still believes in a peaceful resolution, if the West applies pressure to the rebel side in order to cease combat.

However, I don't know if this will work out, considering for how long the situation has been developing and the number of casualties on both sides.

If these comments are correct and true, what will be Assad's terms for an acceptable election? This might be a sign of hope, but it can also become even worst.

Let's just imagine that there is an election in Syria, but one of the sides claims that the election was manipulated by the other, or by foreign influences. Won't that make the civil war even worst?

I can't tell if this is a good or bad thing.

www.reuters.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Just one question. Who counts the votes? Hell we get electoral fraud here where things are supposedly more stable.

this is how it should end for Assad,if the people truly want change..

Originally posted by intrepid
Just one question. Who counts the votes? Hell we get electoral fraud here where things are supposedly more stable.

Exactly. That's why in the OP I wondered about Assad's terms for what he considers a valid election.

You make a good comparison by using the U.S. elections and the constant talk of fraud - at least since President Bush - but I think we have even better examples in Africa, Eastern (post-Soviet) Europe or even the recent Arab Spring.

Often it falls to the U.N. to do the surveillance of the elections, but even the U.N. is questioned.

I mention the U.N. because all their peace proposals to Syria have failed. To the point where nobody even mentions them anymore.

Russia says?
most of russian n me dnt care about assad