国际英语新闻:Damascus invites "friendly countries" to observe Syria's presidential vote

DAMASCUS, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian parliament said on Monday that it had sent invitations to lawmakers from 11 "friendly countries" to attend the June 3 presidential elections.

Syria's parliament speaker said they had sent invitations to the parliaments of Russia, China, India, South Africa, Brazil, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador and Armenia, requesting them to dispatch parliamentarians and election experts to follow up on the upcoming presidential elections in Syria.

The speaker said they would be "grateful" if friendly politicians and experts attend the elections, describing the elections as "free," "democratic," and "competitive."

The timing of the presidential polls has raised ire of the Syrian opposition and their regional and international backers, who have labeled it a "parody of democracy."

Opposition groups inside and outside Syria have criticized the decision to hold the presidential elections in light of the ongoing civil war that has killed more than 150,000 people.

They also stressed that millions of Syrians had fled to neighboring countries as refugees and do not have access to basic necessities, let alone polling stations.

Government officials said President Bashar al-Assad is the " real guarantee" for the future of Syria, adding that he has a high chance to be re-elected for a third seven-year term.