Baird Says Syrian Elections a Sham

News Release

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**June 3, 2014 -** Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement regarding the presidential election under way in Syria:

“This is yet another of Assad’s farcical elections. As Assad calmly votes for himself and asks his followers to do the same, he drops barrel bombs on his own people, killing Syrians who oppose his rule.

“It is quite simply fraud to claim legitimacy in rigged elections while simultaneously killing your electorate. A legitimate Syrian government can result only from the country’s transition to a democratic, pluralistic state. Legitimacy comes from the will of all Syrians, not just from fearfully oppressed or blindly loyal privileged citizens.

“Canada refuses to lend these sham elections any credibility. Instead, we will continue to work hard toward a political solution to the conflict and to help prioritize and meet the needs of the Syrian people in their fight for true democracy.”