Syria will hold its presidential election on May 26, the country's parliament said on Sunday, a vote which is expected to return President Bashar al Assad for a third term in office.
Assad's family and his Baath party have ruled Syria for more than five decades holding a strong grip on power with the help of the powerful security forces and army, where his Alawite minority dominate and dissent against his rule is not tolerated.
A bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters by Assad's security apparatus in 2011 led to a devastating civil war.
Election rules also require candidates to have lived in Syria for the last 10 years, which effectively prevents key opposition figures in exile from standing for office.