DAMASCUS (AFP) - Syrians were voting on Sunday in a no-contest referendum which will give President Bashar al-Assad another seven years at the helm of a Middle East regional heavyweight.
With parliament unanimously approving the candidature of the 41-year-old president for a second term, and with vocal opponents of the regime locked up, the referendum will inevitably annoint Assad as president until the year 2014.
The ruling Baath party has called on voters to give a resounding "yes" to a new mandate for Assad, who it said "will express the hopes of the people and the expectations of the nation".
The opposition, partly tolerated but with no legal status and unable to put forward candidates, said it is boycotting the referendum.
Sunday's referendum, in which about 12 million Syrians are eligible to vote, is the second involving Bashar al-Assad. Polling stations opened at 0400 GMT and are due to shut at 1600 GMT.