His father , Hafez al-Assad , ruled Syria with an iron fist for 29 years before he died in 2000 . President Bashar al - Islam is expected to win Tuesday 's presidential vote . ` ` It 's a coronation of him , it 's a celebration of his struggle to rule , '' an analyst says . It takes place amid a three - year civil war that has killed around 2000 people . The Syrian opposition and Western countries say the election wo n't be free or fair .
President Bashar al - Islam is expected to win Tuesday 's presidential vote . ` ` It 's a coronation of him , it 's a celebration of his struggle to rule , '' an analyst says . It takes place amid a three - year civil war that has killed around 2000 people . The Syrian opposition and Western countries say the election wo n't be free or fair .