By Nawara Fattahova
KUWAIT: Syrian citizens living abroad voted in presidential election at their embassies around the world yesterday. Those in Syria will vote on May 26. In Kuwait, voting was open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm at the Syrian Embassy in Mishref. Voters can choose from three candidates - President Bashar Al-Assad, Mahmoud Marei and Abdullah Salloum Abdullah.
Syrian Charge d'Affaires Mustafa Dayoub said that thousands of voters arrived since morning to vote. According to him, there are over 100,000 Syrian citizens residing in Kuwait. "We haven't faced any problems or complications. The voting process is going smoothly; voters can select their candidate behind a curtain. We will collect the ballots in the evening after voting closes," he told Kuwait Times.
All staff and the voters were wearing facemasks as part of health measures. Also, a safe distance was maintained between voters, the temperature of the voters was checked at the entrance, and other safety precautions were followed.
According to one of the secretaries, the Syrian Embassy posted the invitation to participate in these elections on their official page on Facebook, in addition to advertising in local dailies to inform all Syrian citizens living in Kuwait about this event. These are the second elections held since the approval of the new Syrian constitution in 2012.