Web News - Syria: presidential campaign mocked online

FRANCE 24 English 2014-04-27

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In this edition: Bashar al-Assad's critics and supporters take to the web ahead of the presidential election; a 19 year old English man raises millions for a cancer charity; and footballer Neymar takes on rally driver Ken Block.


SYRIA: PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN MOCKED ONLINE
Last week the Syrian government made it official, the presidential election is to be held on June 3. And although Bashar al-Assad has not yet announced he will be running, his critics and supporters have taken to Twitter where campaigning and confrontation is already underway...
Opponent of the regime have set up the #AssadCampaignSlogans thread on the microblogging site, where web users can post sarcastic suggestions like “I will rebuild Syria from the ashes (as soon as I finish burning it completely)”. Tweets that take a satirical look at the president`s macabre record, three years of civil war that has left 150,000 people dead, and counting.
Opponents’ have also been sharing this photomontage called “The new candidates for president of the Syrian Arab Republic”: where each candidate is in fact a barely disguised Bashar al-Assad. It`s an original way of highlighting the lack of choice and slamming what many feel is an electoral farce, saying the outcome is already a done deal and the Damascus strongman will be back for another term…
Bashar al-Assad`s supporters have of course retaliated, and are busy posting under #VoteForAssad and #2014AlAssad hashtags, delighted by the current president`s expected victory. He has until May 1st to submit his application to run for a third term as president of Syria.
 
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