Why Bashar Assad is still in charge

摘要

"Good morning!" beamed the pre-senter on Syrian television. "The morning of democracy!" replied a jovial correspondent at a polling station, as Bashar Assad, Syria's president, went to the ballot box on June 3rd. Winning a third seven-year term with 89% of votes cast, Mr Assad hopes that the election, which took place only in the half of the populated territory that his forces more or less control, will give his regime fresh legitimacy. More to the point, it demonstrated that he has been holding ground militarily and may even have begun to turn back the rebel opposition's territorial tide.