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Syrians abroad try to vote

Natalie Carney, Amman / cdJune 3, 2014

A staggering number of Syrians living abroad have not been able to cast a ballot in presidential elections. In Jordan, DW's Natalie Carney met with some who could, some who could not - and others who would not.

https://p.dw.com/p/1CAwK
Syrian refugees in Lebanon cast their votes for the presidential election
Image: JOSEPH EID/AFP/Getty Images

Syrian refugees go to the ballot box

Nahla, a Syrian mother and supporter of Bashar al-Assad, danced in the streets of Amman, Jordan, waving her index finger high in the air - the tip dipped in black ink, indicating she had cast her ballot.

Across the street from her, Hussein Al Shoraiky adamantly rejected voting, expressing the apathy felt by many refugees who oppose the elections or have been disenfranchised by Syria's government.

For one older woman, the youngest of those protestors were "dogs" whose flag - the three-starred banner of the opposition - she used to blow her nose.

For Syrians in Jordan, the mood during presidential elections was an occasion for joy, fury, hope and utter despondency, with huge questions remaining as to the election's legitimacy at all.