Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Horror of Homs...
has registered to run in next month's presidential vote, which is expected to return him to power despite the grinding conflict, the parliament speaker announced Monday.
The election will be Syria's first multi-candidate presidential vote, after changes to the constitution, but it has already been criticized by the opposition and much of the international community as a "farce".
The government has not explained how it will hold the vote in a country gripped by a brutal war that has killed more than 150,000 people and left large swathes of territory beyond regime control.
Speaking at a session of parliament, speaker Mohammed al-Lahham read a letter from Assad announcing his candidacy.
"I, citizen Bashar Hafez Assad, wish to present my candidacy for the post of president of the republic," the document said.