President Bashar al-Assad is expected to win Tuesday 's presidential vote . `` It 's a coronation of Assad One aspect of this year 's election distinguishes it from the previous foregone conclusions , though : al-Assad actually has people running against him -- although it 's questionable how much of a challenge they present . , 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 . 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 .