Cablegate: Czechs Agree That Upcoming Syrian Election Will

VZCZCXRO6989
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHPG #0609 1451504
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 251504Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY PRAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9123
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 0053
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 0117

UNCLAS PRAGUE 000609

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EUR/NCE. NEA/ELA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KDEM PHUM SY EUN EZ
SUBJECT: CZECHS AGREE THAT UPCOMING SYRIAN ELECTION WILL
NOT BE DEMOCRATIC

REF: STATE 71071

1. (SBU) Czech MFA Syria desk officer Jaromir Marek told
Poloff on May 25 that the Czech Republic agrees that the
upcoming presidential election in Syria will not be free and
fair. He chuckled at the very idea of using the word
"election" in connection with the event, observing that it is
really a "referendum" in which the only possible "vote" is
"yes." Marek said the Czech Republic has no official position
on the Syrian election, other than the view that Syria is not
a democratic country. Marek said the Czechs focus their
attention on human rights abuses in Syria.
GRABER

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