(VOVworld)- Syrian news agency SANA reported Thursday that incumbent President Bashar al-Assad has won a landslide victory in Syria’s presidential election securing 88.7% of the vote.
Assad's key challengers, Hassan al-Nouri and Maher Hajjar, received 4.3% and 3.2% of the vote, respectively. Syria's Supreme Constitutional Court said the voter turnout was 73 % despite threats from the opposition and calls for people to boycott the vote. Syrians took to the streets in Syria and Lebanon to celebrate President Assad’s victory.
This is the first time since  1963, that a presidential race in Syria has attracted such a large number of candidates.