LEBANON: SYRIANS VOTE IN ASSAD REFERENDUM

• published: 21 Jul 2015
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Arabic/Nat There have been jubilant scenes as tens of thousands of Syrians in Lebanon voted in a national referendum to re-elect Syrian President Hafez Assad for another seven-year term. It will be his fifth in succession. There are 35-thousand soldiers stationed in Lebanon, as well as one (m) million Syrians living there. A huge crowd of Syrians gathered in Beirut, as they did across Lebanon, to vote for their president. Syria has considerable influence over its tiny neighbour in the Middle East, with 35-thousand troops stationed there and more than a (m) million Syrians working in the country. Syria still maintains a firm grip on domestic and foreign policy Its soldiers first entered Lebanon as peacekeepers during the 1975 to 1990 civil war, but stayed on after all other forces left. Syria set up 28 special polling booths across Lebanon so Syrians could vote \"yes\" or \"no\" to keeping Assad in office for another seven years. The polls have outraged some opposition leaders, but Syrian M-Ps maintained the official line that the Lebanese and Syrians are \"one people in two countries.\" SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) \"Today, the Arab peoples in Lebanon and Syria renew the pledge to President Hafez Assad ensuring that we are one people with two governments.\" SUPER CAPTION: Assem Kanso, Lebanese Member of Parliament, Member of Syrian Baath Party The two-day referendum is expected to overwhelmingly endorse Assad, who is the sole candidate. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) \"Forever our leader... Hafez Assad.\" SUPER CAPTION: Syrian man, Voxpop SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) \"We, the Syrians, all loyally renew the pledge to our leader Hafez Assad.\" SUPER CAPTION: Syrian man, Voxpop SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) \"We congratulate our leader from the hearts of all Syrians living in Lebanon.\" SUPER CAPTION: Syrian man, Voxpop SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) \"This is the wedding of the whole Arab world. We say 'yes' a thousand times from our hearts. With soul and blood we die for you Hafez.\" SUPER CAPTION: Syrian man, Voxpop In the Bekaa Valley soldiers danced and cheered as they turned out to vote. Assad served as air force commander and defence minister before taking power in a bloodless coup. He has since transformed his country from a coup-plagued former French colony into one of the Middle East's strongest powers. The results will be announced on Thursday. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/6a1e58d33825f84e73003ba30290f5d1 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork