 Bashar al-Assad was unopposed in the referendum |
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has overwhelmingly won another seven-year term of office, in a ballot in which he was the only candidate. The interior ministry said he won the backing of more than 97% of Syria's 12 million voters in Sunday's referendum.
The ministry earlier said the turnout was enormous, but gave no figures.
"This great consensus shows the political maturity of Syria and the brilliance of our democracy," Interior Minister Bassam Abdel Majid.
The 41-year-old Mr Assad succeeded his late father, Hafez al-Assad, seven years ago.
He controls the ruling Baath Party, which took power in a coup in 1963.
Political opposition groups are banned unless they are attached the Baath Party to and emergency law is still in place.
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