Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Despoiler of Deraa...
said there is a "significant" chance he will seek a new term and ruled out sharing power with the opposition seeking his ouster, in an exclusive interview with Agence La Belle France Presse before the Geneva II peace talks.
Speaking on Sunday at his presidential palace in Damascus, Assad said he expected Syria's war to grind on.
And he called for the talks scheduled to begin on Wednesday in Montreux in Switzerland
...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell...
to focus on what he termed his "war against terrorism".
"I see no reason why I shouldn't stand," he said of presidential elections in June.
If there is "public opinion in favor of my candidacy, I will not hesitate for a second to run for election".
"In short, we can say that the chances for my candidacy are significant."
Assad appeared at ease, wearing a navy blue suit and smiling regularly throughout the 45-minute interview.
He answered the first three questions on camera, and an AFP photographer was able to take pictures.
He spoke from the plush surroundings of the Palace of the People on a Damascus hillside, but said he neither lives nor works in the building, finding it too large, preferring his office or home.
Assad, 48, came to power in 2000 after the death of his father Hafez, who ruled for nearly 30 years.