MESOP REPORT : Assad supporters celebrate in Qamishli

May 17, 2014 – ARA News – Qamishlo, Syria– Under the banner “together we inaugurate Bashar al-Assad”, ceremonies and marches in support of the presidential electoral campaign in Syria and of the candidacy of Bashar al-Assad for a third term continued over the last few days in the city of Qamishli, in Hasakah province northeast of Syria.

The proponents of al-Baath Social Arab Party, in collaboration with al-Thawra Youth Union and the different governmental profession unions, arranged a speech-ceremony and put up many tents in front of the cultural center in the security square in Qamishlo, where hundreds of pro-regime Arabs, Syriacs, Kurds and tribal figures participated along side with “senior officials” working for the Syrian regime. Civil servants, school directors, teachers and students as well as Muslim and Christian religious figures were among the participants. Many speeches demanded voting for al-Assad, calling him “the symbol of the Arab Nation”.

Security informants mentioned to ARA News “the governor of Hasakah and senior regime officials from Damascus and other Syrian governorates as well as members of the Syrian Parliament participated in these ceremonies. The source talked about the attendance of Faroq al-Shar’a, the Syrian vice president, to Qamishli pro-Assad ceremony on Wednesday. The same source talked about allocating one hundred balloting boxes in the city, by the electoral committees; five of them in the municipality building and the rest distributed on the different electoral wards. Activist Ahmad Ali informed ARA News about the turnout of hundreds of Qamishli residents to the ceremony, under threats of dismissal in case of non-participation. “Moreover, many street posters and signs raised the slogans of inaugurating Bashar al-Assad by the Arab tribes.”

Ali also mentioned the heavy regime security presence supported by militants of the National Defence in the city, where they blocked all streets and neighbourhoods leading to the ceremony venue. They also deployed snipers on the roofs of the surrounding and governmental buildings. These pro-regime marches and ceremonies have started since the mid of April, while the “presidential elections” are expected to take place start of June.