Syria's president guaranteed new term

DAMASCUS, Syria, May 27 (UPI) -- Syria's president was guaranteed victory Sunday in a referendum designed to strengthen his rule and endorse him for a second term.

President Bashar Assad was the only candidate on the ballot, Alalam Satellite TV reported.

Most of the nearly 12.5 million eligible voters, out of Syria's 18.6 million residents, were expected to endorse Assad, 42, for a second seven-year term, Alalam said.

Assad, a British-educated ophthalmologist, became president seven years ago after the death of his father, President Hafez Assad. This month, the Syrian Parliament, dominated by the Baathist party, unanimously endorsed Assad for a second term.

Members of the Damascus Declaration, the largest coalition of Syrian opposition groups, boycotted the referendum.