Assad likely to win Syria presidential elections: Velayati

President Bashar al-Assad is likely to win Syria presidential election, Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor for foreign affairs to Iranˈs Supreme Leader said on Tuesday.
He made the remarks in an interview with IRNA on the sidelines of the International Conference on Imam Khomeini and Islamic Awakening in Tehran.
Velayati referred to the Syrian presidential election, held on June 3 and said that Assadˈs resistance against terrorist groups,has increased his popularity among people.
Recent waves of Islamic Awakening Movements in the region have been inspired by the late Imam Khomeiniˈs thoughts and Iranˈs 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The three presidential candidates in Syria include incumbent President Bashar al-Assad, Maher Abdel Hafiz Hajjar and Hassan Abdallah al-Nouri.
Syria has dismissed western and opposition groups accusations that its presidential poll lacks credibility, saying it is a free and transparent election.
On Wednesday, Syrian citizens living abroad began voting at the Syrian embassies in a number of countries including Iran.