Syria's President Assad Announces He Will Run for Third Term

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad on April 28 announced he would run for re-election. The June 3 poll will see Assad look for a third term as president after he took power in 2000 following the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad. The election takes place against the backdrop of a civil war that engulfed the country following nationwide protests against Assad’s leadership that began in March 2011.

Footage from state media shows the speaker of the Syrian parliament announcing Assad’s intention to run for re-election. Credit: Syrian Arab News Agency