Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has announced new elections for early June. Assad will seek another seven-year term as his country remains mired in a three-year civil war that has killed tens of thousands. A spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the election will undermine efforts for a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

Stéphane Dujarric: “I think both the secretary-general and the joint special representative, Lakhdar Brahimi, have repeatedly warned that the holding of elections in the current circumstances amid the ongoing conflict and massive displacement will damage the political process and hamper — and hamper the prospects for a political solution that the country so urgently needs. Such elections are incompatible with the letter and spirit of the Geneva communiqué.”