Syrian President Bashar Assad was re-elected in a landslide, officials said on Thursday. The win ushers in a fourth seven-year term for Assad in the war-torn country. The election was described as illegitimate and a sham by the West and Assad's opposition.
Areas controlled by rebels or Kurdish-led troops did not hold the vote. At least 8 million, mostly displaced, live in those areas in northwest and northeast Syria.
Assad, who won 95% of the votes, was facing symbolic competition from two candidates- a former minister and a former opposition figure.
Assad’s victory comes as the country is still devastated by the conflict. Fighting has subsided but the war is not over.