Syria’s Assad inauguration to take place Wednesday

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad will be sworn in for a new seven-year term on Wednesday, a source close to the regime told AFP.

“President Assad will be sworn in before a large number of figures on Wednesday. He will then give an inauguration speech in which he will outline plans for his new seven-year term,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

For security reasons, the location of the ceremony that had initially been scheduled for Thursday has yet to be disclosed.

Three years into a revolt that has killed an estimated 170,000 people, Assad was elected for a new term in a poll held only in regime-controlled areas and denounced as a “farce” by opponents.