Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad said there is a “significant” chance he will seek a new term and ruled out sharing power with the Opposition seeking his ouster, in an interview before the Geneva II peace talks.
Speaking on Sunday at his presidential palace in Damascus, Assad said he expected Syria’s war to grind on. And he called for the talks scheduled to begin on Wednesday in Montreux in Switzerland to focus on what he termed his “war against terrorism”. “I see no reason why I shouldn’t stand,” he said of presidential elections in June. If there is “public opinion in favour of my candidacy, I will not hesitate for a second to run for election”.
“In short, we can say that the chances for my candidacy are significant.” Assad appeared at ease, wearing a navy blue suit and smiling regularly throughout the 45-minute interview.