Syrians in Lebanon Vote for President for 2nd Day
Hundreds of Syrians living in Lebanon have lined up outside their embassy near Beirut to vote ahead of their country's June 3 presidential election as expat balloting was extended for another day.
Expat voting in Lebanon was extended through Thursday after Syrian voters clashed with Lebanese troops outside the embassy the day before.
The situation around the hilltop embassy in the town of Yarze, southeast of Beirut, appeared more orderly on Thursday.
Lebanese troops patrolled the area as hundreds of people — some waving Syrian flags and holding Assad's photos — patiently waited in two lines to go into the embassy to vote.
Most voters appeared to be supporters of President Bashar Assad, who is widely expected to get a third seven-year term in the vote that has been criticized by the West and Syria's opposition because it is taking place amid a civil war.
Wrapped in a Syrian flag, one of the president's supporters in Lebanon said he was voting because he hoped the election would end the war and see life return to normal after more than three years of fighting that has killed an estimated 160,000 people.
"I hope Syria goes back to the way it was and that we will live in security and stability together, the way we used to," said the voter, who hails from the central city of Homs. He only gave his first name, Riad, for fear of harassment.
The conflict started in March 2011 as largely peaceful protests against Assad, whose family has ruled Syria for more than 40 years, but escalated into a civil war when some in the opposition took up arms after the government launched a brutal crackdown on dissent.
29 May 2014, 13:25
58
so funny those M8ers who believe it is a spontaneous vote from syrians! LOL
all the brainwashing appears... how naive they are and ignorant!
29 May 2014, 13:28
58
easy to get popular votes when one is coerced and threatened to do so! all dictatorships proceed the same way to make believe ignorant sheep they are "popular"! seems history never taught them a single thing.. no wonder they want to stay ignorant!
only M8ers see it as democratic! ROFLMAO!
29 May 2014, 13:45
114
yea, we all saw on the videos they were walking with guns pointed to their heads, and some even with knives on their throats.
29 May 2014, 13:45
114
you decided they were "coerced and threatened" out of thin air, or based on a few rumors spread by media under the "anonymous witnesses said" poetic license. (aka "propaganda")
you only chose to believe them because you're ideologically motivated to hate the regime. you could have 100,000 syrians yelling to your face that they support the regime (like you had yesterday) and still convince yourself that somehow they are all cowards who do not dare speak their minds, or idiots who do not know what is best for them. your idea of democracy is one where you decide for them what they want.
29 May 2014, 14:08
58
sure mooowaten... khadafi had millions of supporters, staline had millions of supporters, kim Jung il has millions of supporters... and so on... very easy to get when you are threatened!
and no need to have guns at your head ya chater! the secret services know what everyone is doing!
but only fanatics bury their head in the sand pretending the leader has billions of supporters! LOL
29 May 2014, 14:09
58
"resisted" LOL they were collaborating like now! and proud of it! their capital is damascus not beirut!
29 May 2014, 16:07
44
sure FT thingie, happy now? good you insulted me, now move on loser.... jerk off on someone else now ok?
29 May 2014, 13:44
134
lol @naharnet saying "hundreds" when the images showed tens of thousands at least.
29 May 2014, 14:37
104
where is the 3rd trolling account? eagledown were are waiting for you to complete the trolls band.
29 May 2014, 14:42
410
Why is it ONLY in Lebanon the Syrians went out in force to demonstrate their alleged support for Assad while non of that happened in Jordan or Turkey or any other city around the world. Is it perhaps there is no HA in these countries?
29 May 2014, 14:51
49
so what's the percentage of Syrians in Lebanon who voted?
There are about 1.8 million Syrians...and let's say 25,000 Syrians voted...so a child can do the math and get the percentage of Syrians who voted...lol balla maskhara...and in the meantime, Lebanon doesn't have a president and guess who's to blame...
29 May 2014, 16:15
84
Naharnet has been reluctant to admit that it is atleast a few thousand Syrian refugee voters on the streets.
29 May 2014, 18:28
21
على الأقل بالإمكان أن ينقذ حياته و عائلته عندما يقدم للمخابرات إثبات الولاء.
29 May 2014, 20:18
01
And who came up with that lovely rule FT? and another thing, if Syrians entered Lebanon with a Rebel exit stamp (can they actually do that? i dont know), they can also vote? i believe not!
29 May 2014, 13:45
74
popular vote happens in france , usa, great Britain ,....in all democratic countries with no dictators
voting in embassies ,cannot see the coercion or the threats inside Syria maybe
god bless democracy
29 May 2014, 14:00
57
funny how 1000s shabehas turn up but cant go back to regions under their za3im's control. Bit ironic, innit ?
If they had real elections in arsal or other places with real refugees, bashar would get no vote...
29 May 2014, 14:03
57
can't they go and vote in damascus ma zel everything is under control? LOL
no it is just to show lebanese that syria is still controlling Lebanon with the help of hezbis who watch those going to vote and with the blessing of M8 traitors.......
29 May 2014, 16:28
32
of course they did, if they can kill our PM, control elections should be ok...
Why didnt they allow voting in camps ? are those not syrians anymore ? did they strip them already of their citizenship and given it to iraqi shias?
29 May 2014, 14:09
73
Just to sway off topic a little bit, why can't we Lebanese do what the Syrians do, vote for the president directly from the people instead of parliament. Maybe it won't be a bad idea either if we can also vote for the House Speaker and PM too! We can keep the constitutional allocation of the 3 presidential seats as they are, but bring the voting directly to the people, instead of the mafia.
29 May 2014, 14:21
52
then shias will vote a christian president working for Iran and PM working for syria. Is this what u want or u're proposing that each sect vote for his representant ?
29 May 2014, 14:41
81
No Cedre, numerics have shown before that the M14 coalition won twice on merit of voter count, why should this worry us?
29 May 2014, 14:54
43
maybe u're right, never understood christian parties and christian vote in the first place.
How can a maronite vote fpm or marada except for retard and feudal reasons ? Why LF and Kataeb and independant dont form a strong, modern and dynamic christian party ? Ca me depasse...
29 May 2014, 18:25
12
Mon cher Cedre, tout le Liban nous depasse, mais ce qui me depasse le plus c'est que Bani Maarouf est depasse par son manque de Anger Management. Allez lol pur lui.
29 May 2014, 14:24
92
Ya Wolf Rear, or better known as Bani Maarouf or now posting as Ibinbatraksfeir, you need to know that this is a forum, and that your brain needs to be trained to recognize that you cannot portray people within the very limited confines of your brains. To distance myself from the abject behavior of hatred as seen by several posters here does not mean that I am toeing anyone, by respecting the leaders of others makes it possible for me to cut across my message without any impairment. Sadly for your maker Bani or Ibin, that is an impediment from which you cannot liberate yourself from. You guys wish to continue with your sad character of hatred and derogation? Well, go ahead, you'll earn nothing in return but the fruits of your creation, and what creation ya 7abboub?!!
29 May 2014, 14:14
71
This is a rude wake up call for every single Lebanese who is still sleeping and believing that the Syrian presence is happening in another land, Not called Lebanon. Well, I know many in this country have felt the tremors and shivers go down their spines. Yalla, khalloukoun neymin, wou nawmel hana ya shabeb, till the non-Lebanon will come to wake you up. Keep a handy suitcase handy, chart an escape route, port, airport, dunno but it would be wise to make contingencies if everyone wants to stay hooked up on party lines instead of patriotic ones. Yalla, unless we all wake up and unite, these queues will be ours soon, but at border posts.
29 May 2014, 14:34
35
there are 1800000 refugees in Lebanon, only 80 000 to 100000 went to this farce of a vote : it only represents 5% of the total LOL
29 May 2014, 14:45
39
18 hours ago European Union Ambassador to Lebanon Angelina Eichhorst: The number of Syrian refugees residing in Lebanon surpassed 1,800,000.
29 May 2014, 18:52
12
yea Angelina Eichhorst knows better than us lebanese how many syrians are here.
ridiculous
29 May 2014, 14:39
103
lol as soon as you saw that they support the regime you lost your humanitarian feelings didnt ya? now you wish they'd go to get their throats cut by your takfiri friends
29 May 2014, 16:19
33
oh! you mean the syrian boots you lick? no wonder they stink, just like your mouth when you open it! LOL
29 May 2014, 16:28
32
seems you are soooo happy to play here like if you were in your kindergaten playground!
happy huh to try and prove you know how to insult better than anyone else! LOL
now come on! prove you can insult better than that kiddo!
29 May 2014, 14:42
81
Parraeels, I think everyone played the demographic game, but yes, you're right, that yellow mark on the wall sure does stink.
29 May 2014, 15:40
00
Propaganda nothing more and just a photo opp media money shot, facts are most two million refugees are along the eastern and northern lebanese borders so it is easier and closer for them to go vote in the pacified syrian territories. But this way pro syrian government medias and talking heads can claim bashar has overwhelming refugee support. A few thousands showing up at the embassy, clogging up traffic and are making noise are more effective visually but they are a fraction of a fraction when they are compared to the two millions that most of whom did not vote.
29 May 2014, 15:50
37
I am confused.
THe majority of refugees are pro-Assad. Assad and HA have liberated most of the border area with Lebanon and cleansed the Qalamoun from takfiris. So why are those refugees back in Syria living where they belong so they can go on shoring up their President? I heard iit could be some checks they get for being refugees. Or is it a plot to take over Lebanon?
29 May 2014, 18:03
42
This voting charade is nothing compared to the 150,000 murders Bashar, his worshipers and his Islamo fascist allies committed.
29 May 2014, 18:23
22
Thanks Roar, but the thumbing machine league sure ain't liked my post. But I got for them a solid wall for their heads. Cheers man.
29 May 2014, 19:59
31
Whatever. I don't care if they vote for the devil himself, as long as they pack and go home soon.
29 May 2014, 21:33
11
"yea Angelina Eichhorst knows better than us lebanese how many syrians are here.
ridiculous"
sure the european union just make up figures out of the blue...
poor mooowaten, bashar's cheerleader.
the one here to be ridiculous is you and your complex of superiority!
29 May 2014, 22:12
01
"The M14 paid leaders for years were saying that Mubarak was loved by his people. "
just like M8ers repeat that assad is loved by the syrians....
easy to be loved when you force people to do so, like in every dictatorship people are obliged to show their "faith" in the leader or else they get into big big trouble...
just remember all the previous totaltarian regimes, assad does not act differently!
