Assad says he won't run for reelection if "people don't want him"

Published October 5th, 2013 - 04:20 GMT
In an interview with Turkish television, Bashar Al-Assad said he was still undecided about whether he wanted to run for reelection. (Image credit: AFP)
In an interview with Turkish television, Bashar Al-Assad said he was still undecided about whether he wanted to run for reelection. (Image credit: AFP)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been quoted by AP as saying he is still undecided on whether he will run for election next year.

In an interview to a Turkish opposition TV channel, he said that if the Syrians don’t want him to be their leader, he would not run for elections. He added that the situation is fluid and Syria is “going through rapid changes on the ground.”

While Assad faces a determined opposition in the rebel forces that are fighting him across the length and breadth of the country, he still enjoys wide support among minorities, including Christians and Alawites, members of the Shiite Islam sect.

Assad was first elected President of Syria in 2000. His second seven year term ends in 2014.

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