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alp227

(32,025 posts) Mon Feb 27, 2012, 05:15 PM Feb 2012

Syria claims 90% of voters backed reforms in referendum EU announces fre

Syria has claimed that a constitutional referendum held on Sunday was approved by close to 90% of voters, even as international reaction to its ongoing crackdown intensified, with the European Union announcing fresh sanctions against key regime figures.

Bloodshed continued in restive parts of the country on Monday. Activist groups said 124 people had been killed the day after the ballot, which had been hailed as a showpiece of reform in the rigidly controlled state. The death toll could not be independently verified.

he Baba Amr district of the country's third city, Homs, was again the worst affected, with up to 64 people said to have been killed while trying to flee the area on Monday. Efforts to evacuate a large number of wounded from the embattled neighbourhood –among them two western reporters injured during a rocket attack that killed the Sunday Times correspondent Marie Colvin and French photographer Rémi Ochlik last Wednesday –continued, and ambulances from the Syrian Red Crescent organisation had re-entered Baba Amr yesterday.

http://m.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/27/syria-bashar-al-assad

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Syria claims 90% of voters backed reforms in referendum EU announces fre (Original Post) alp227 Feb 2012 OP

That's 90% of those who voted. dipsydoodle Feb 2012 #1

Yep, where one does not vote in private but under the eyes of the "regime". tabatha Feb 2012 #2

and under the sniper scopes of Triloon Feb 2012 #3

This message was self-deleted by its author Triloon Feb 2012 #4

Farce-shmarce. 90% of 57% of all voters supported the new constitution. That's over half of all Fool Count Feb 2012 #5

And those who did vote did so under the eyes of the armed opposition. David__77 Feb 2012 #8

Link doesn't work now - anyone have the section that says turnout was 57%? Thnx. leveymg Feb 2012 #6

Here's a BBC report that repeats that claim by the Syrian Foreign Ministry leveymg Feb 2012 #7

And why the opposition doesn't take the offer, I don't know... David__77 Feb 2012 #9

dipsydoodle

(42,239 posts)

1. That's 90% of those who voted.

Reply to alp227 (Original post)

Mon Feb 27, 2012, 05:27 PM

Feb 2012

Its the outcome of the opposition chosing to boycott the vote.

tabatha

(18,795 posts)

2. Yep, where one does not vote in private but under the eyes of the "regime".

Reply to dipsydoodle (Reply #1)

Mon Feb 27, 2012, 05:50 PM

Feb 2012

It is a farce as most countries have declared.

Triloon

(506 posts)

3. and under the sniper scopes of

Reply to tabatha (Reply #2)

Mon Feb 27, 2012, 06:34 PM

Feb 2012

the Regime

Response to tabatha (Reply #2)

Triloon This message was self-deleted by its author.

Fool Count

(1,230 posts)

5. Farce-shmarce. 90% of 57% of all voters supported the new constitution. That's over half of all

Reply to tabatha (Reply #2)

Mon Feb 27, 2012, 06:54 PM

Feb 2012

eligible voters. The real farce here is the demands for Assad to leave when he is supported by most Syrians and
for SNC, which is supported by a small minority, to assume power. Can it get more farcical than that? If someone
wants to take power from Assad, they should organize themselves into a party, contest the next multiparty election
and, provided they get voters support, assume the power peacefully. The reason the opposition wouldn't even consider
doing that is that they have no popular support and no chance in hell to win those elections. Their only chance is to
take power violently with the help of their foreign backers.

David__77

(23,404 posts)

8. And those who did vote did so under the eyes of the armed opposition.

Reply to tabatha (Reply #2)

Tue Feb 28, 2012, 05:34 AM

Feb 2012

When groups like "FSA" have tried to establish armed strikes and armed boycotts, it's little different than those employed by Sendero Luminoso in Peru before - they work, but not due to popularity of politics, but fear of subversion.

leveymg

(36,418 posts)

6. Link doesn't work now - anyone have the section that says turnout was 57%? Thnx.

Reply to alp227 (Original post)

Mon Feb 27, 2012, 07:24 PM

Feb 2012

leveymg

(36,418 posts)

7. Here's a BBC report that repeats that claim by the Syrian Foreign Ministry

Reply to leveymg (Reply #6)

Mon Feb 27, 2012, 07:41 PM

Feb 2012

Took some digging to find, but here it is, buried at the very bottom of the page: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17182279

State television has meanwhile announced the results of a referendum on a new constitution, which was dismissed by opposition activists and the West as a sham.

The poll showed around 89% support for the proposal, the report said, on a turnout of just over 57%.

If this is accurate, it would indicate that within Syria the regime retains sufficient legitimacy so that a majority of the population voted to reform it.

David__77

(23,404 posts)

9. And why the opposition doesn't take the offer, I don't know...

Reply to leveymg (Reply #7)

Tue Feb 28, 2012, 05:40 AM

Feb 2012

They're going to be freezed out, not seize state power. I respect NCB, but they should think carefully in the period ahead. As I'm sure the Popular Front for Change and Liberation will participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections. There would ideally be a strong left-wing, anti-sectarian front that will resolutely oppose foreign interference, Ba'athist neoliberal economic policies, and religious extremism and hysteria.

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