May 30, 2007 Wednesday 5:27 PM GMT
Syrian opposition figures criticised on Wednesday a referendum that returned President Bashar al-Assad to power for another seven years, denouncing there being only a single candidate and claiming corruption in the voting.
"We denounce the way in which the authorities managed the presidential election in ignoring the opposition's calls to change the system under which the candidate is chosen" and leaving citizens no free choice, a statement said.
The opposition had called for a boycott of the referendum.
The main signatories were members of the Democratic National Rally, a coalition of banned parties, the coalition of Kurdish parties, the human rights committee and several independent personalities.
Many of those signing the statement also signed the "Damascus Declaration" in 2005 calling on Syrians to work in a peaceful manner for "a radical change" and saying the creation of a "national democratic regime" was the way to achieve this change.
Bashar al-Assad, 41, was re-elected president in a no-contest referendum on Sunday in which officials said he received 97.62 percent of the votes.
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Agence France Presse -- English
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