Assad Begins Presidential Campaign

Sunday marked the official start of Syria's presidential campaign as posters of President Bashar Assad filled Damascus. The Syrian opposition and its Western allies have denounced the June 3 election as a sham intended to lend a false sense of legitimacy to Assad's regime. 150,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced under Assad's brutal rule. On a (very) tiny note of progress, the ballots in the upcoming elections will actually feature other candidates. Previously under the rule of Assad and his father, they were the only candidates permitted on yes-and-no ballots.