Epoch Times
July 17, 2021 Updated: July 17, 2021
DAMASCUS, Syria—Syrian President Bashar Assad was sworn in Saturday for a fourth seven-year term in the war-torn country.
The May elections were described by the West and Assad’s opposition as illegitimate and a sham.
The swearing-in ceremony was held at the presidential palace and attended by clergymen, members of parliament, political figures, and army officers.
In power since 2000, Assad’s re-election in a landslide was never in doubt. His new term starts with the country still devastated by 10 years of war and sliding deeper into a worsening economic crisis.