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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad wins third term Syrian President Bashar al-Assad wins third term
(35 minutes later)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has won a third term in office after securing 88.7% of votes in Tuesday's presidential election, officials say. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has won a third term in office after securing 88.7% of votes in Tuesday's presidential election, the parliamentary speaker says.
Earlier, Syria's constitutional court put the vote turnout at 73.47%.Earlier, Syria's constitutional court put the vote turnout at 73.47%.
Voting took place in government-controlled areas, but not in parts of the north and east held by rebels.Voting took place in government-controlled areas, but not in parts of the north and east held by rebels.
Syria is three years into a civil war in which tens of thousands of people have died and millions more have been displaced. Tens of thousands of people have died in three years of civil war in Syria, with millions more displaced.
President Assad's key challengers, Hassan al-Nouri and Maher Hajjar, received 4.3% and 3.2% of the vote respectively.
Celebratory gunfire
It was the first time in decades that more than one name - outside of the Assad family - had been allowed to stand as presidential candidate.
But Mr Assad's critics and the Syrian opposition in rebel-held areas have dismissed the election as a farce, arguing that it has no credibility in the midst of a civil war.
The opposition's allies in the West also denounced the ballot, with US Secretary of State John Kerry, on a visit to neighbouring Lebanon, describing it as "meaningless".
The results of the election were announced by parliamentary speaker Mohammad al-Laham on Wednesday.
"I declare the victory of Dr Bashar Hafez al-Assad as president of the Syrian Arab Republic with an absolute majority of the votes cast in the election," he announced in a televised address.
Celebratory gunfire erupted in the Syrian capital of Damascus after the results were announced, with reports of at least three people killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Syria's constitutional court had earlier announced that some 11.63 million Syrians voted out of a total of 15.85 million eligible to cast a ballot.