President Bashar al-Assad is expected to win Tuesday 's presidential vote . `` It 's a coronation of Assad , it 's a celebration of his ability to survive , '' an analyst says . The Syrian government has been in power for more than four decades and the country remains one of the most repressive regimes on earth. The Syrian opposition and Western countries say the election wo n't be free or fair .
President Bashar al-Assad is expected to win Tuesday 's presidential vote . `` It 's a coronation of Assad , it 's a celebration of his ability to survive , '' an analyst says . It takes place amid a three-year civil war that has killed around 150,000 people . The Syrian opposition and Western countries say the election wo n't be free or fair .