Despite the carnage, Syrians seem destined to retain their president

Bashar Al Assad's expected election victory in Syria, as seen by Mashari Al Dheyadi (Asharq Al Awsat), Akmal Abdel Hakeem (Al ittihad), Elias Harfoosh (Al Hayat) and Ziad Haidar (Assafir).

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What the Arabic press has to say about the presidential election in war-torn Syria. Translated by Carla Mirza

As the conflict in Syria continues, president Bashar Al Assad is heading towards certain re-election.

For Mashari Al Dhayadi, writing in the pan-Arab daily Asharq Al Awsat the inevitable result will be to push the dagger deeper into a wound that has been severely bleeding over the past three years, killing many, injuring even more and turning millions into refugees.

“Assad’s notorious allies are the Khamenei regime in Iran, Russia, China and professional terrorist groups such as Hizbollah and the Shiite Iraqi Abu Al Fadhl Al Abbas Brigade, the Houthis in Yemen, the Shiites of Pakistan and Afghanistan, among others,” he observed.

“As for political regimes, there is explicit support from Iraq’s Nouri Al Maliki and semi-explicit support from the Algerian regime.”

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which claims to be the purest and most pre-eminent representative of Sunni Islam, is objectively considered to be an unconditional supporter of the Assad regime, observed Al Dhayadi.

“The activities of this group on Syrian territory are in the direct interest of Bashar Al Assad’s story, as well as that of Hizbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah and Nouri Al Maliki, in addition to the most intractable leftists and Arab nationalists,”.

He remarked that ISIL’s criminal activities strengthened the legitimacy of the Assad regime.

“The victim in all this is the Syrian people, who are ‘crushed’ between Mr Al Assad’s hammer and ISIL’s anvil”.

Akmal Abdel Hakeem, writing in Al Ittihad, the Arabic language sister newspaper to The National, observed that throughout human history, migration has been a major force effecting the directions and destinies of human societies.

In the past, migration was encouraged by food shortages, scarcity of pasture, climate change, or even change in topography.

“Later, disease, epidemics, armed conflicts and religious persecution became the main causes behind human migration,” he wrote.

In modern times, poor economic conditions, the search for employment and, in some cases, ethnic persecution or political persecution have joined the list of factors that led to migration, he added.

He likened the Syrian conflict to an open wound, one bleeding men, women and children who have had to leave behind their homes and flee to Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and other countries.

According to the United Nations, the number of Syrian refugees who have left the country in the past three years exceeds 2.5 million, making this a massive tragedy from an international perspective, creating the largest number of refugees since the Second World War.

In addition, another 4m Syrians are internally displaced within Syrian territory and another 2m who are in dire need of food aid and medical assistance, Abdel Hakeem noted.

Elias Harfoosh, writing in the pan-Arab daily Al Hayat, noted that while this human and humanitarian tragedy is occurring, the chief perpetrator of it is looking to be re-elected as president.

“Bashar Al Assad will flaunt his victory, as he once again renews his term for another seven years as president of Syria,” he wrote.

Mr Al Assad has defied the worst expectations and retained power.

“The credit for such victory goes to many, with Iran and its Revolutionary Guard at the forefront, along with Hizbollah, and the Iraqi Abu Fadhl Al Abbas Brigade,” he explained.

“Though the real victory Assad has achieved is one against his own people in the first place, then against his own country, and against US President Barack Obama and all the Western leaders who predicted his defeat and ousting a few months into the Syrian revolution.”

Ziad Haidar, writing in the Lebanese daily Assafir, said it was difficult to predict what might happen next in Syria.

“Syria’s opponents have obtained diplomatic recognition for the Syrian opposition, represented by the National Coalition in many of the major capitals,” he observed.

“They have thus increased the possibility to support this opposition with significant weaponry.”

One thing seems clear. The battle will continue, strenuous and lengthy.

cmirza@thenational.ae