DHAKA: Nato head Anders Fogh Rasmussen dismissed presidential elections in Syria as a ‘farce’ on Tuesday, saying they did not meet international standards.

‘The Syrian presidential election is a farce,’ Rasmussen said as he went into a Nato defence ministers meeting, reports The Straits Times.

The vote ‘does not fulfil international standards for free, fair and transparent elections and I am sure no (Nato) ally will recognise the outcome of these so-called elections,’ he said.

Syria president Bashar al-Assad is expected to win a crushing victory over two little known challengers in the elections which the Syrian opposition have also condemned as a ‘farce’.

BDST: 1631 HRS, JUNE 03, 2014