Assad says willing to hold early presidential vote

World Bulletin / News Desk

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said that he is willing to hold early presidential elections if the Syrian people want them, in remarks released Thursday.

"Is there popular will to hold early presidential elections? If there is, I don't have a problem with it," Assad told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, according to an Arabic-language transcript provided by Damascus. 

Assad's seven-year term is set to end in 2021.