Bashar al Assad (file pic)
"The supreme constitutional court announces... the acceptance of candidacy bids registered by... Maher Abdel Hafiz Hajjar, Hassan Abdallah al-Nuri and Bashar Hafez al-Assad," a court official said.
Twenty-three candidates had initially registered to run against Assad, but most did not meet election criteria to run for office in a vote that has been mocked by the opposition and the West as a "farce".
Both Hajjar and Nuri are largely unknown to the Syrian public.
Candidates whose bids were rejected have until May 7 to appeal the court's decision, said Majed al-Khadra of the constitutional court, whose statement was carried by state television.
While the election is the country's first multi-candidate vote, the rules effectively rule out any opponents to Assad's regime from running.
Among them is the stipulation that anyone who has lived outside Syria in the past decade is excluded, effectively barring most prominent opposition figures, who live in exile.
At the same time, the vote will only be held in areas under government control.
The election is being held amid a brutal civil war that has killed more than 150,000 people since March 2011 and made millions homeless.
The regime has barred from voting those refugees who left the country illegally.
RESULT
As a result this election marks the first time that candidates can challenge the incumbent President. Bashar Hafez al-Assad, born in Damascus in 1965.
Syria aims for 'free, transparent' presidential vote ...
President Bashar al-Assad, for a "free and transparent" presidential election, atmosphere" in which the two existing candidates had stepped
Assad seeks re-election as Syrian civil war rages | Reuters
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad declared on multi-candidate presidential vote in requiring candidates to have lived in Syria
Syria to Hold June 3 Presidential Vote
Incumbent President Bashar al Assad has said he Syria to Hold June 3 Presidential Vote puts a human face on the ongoing violence in Syria.
Syria to hold presidential election on June 3, likely to ...
Syria will hold a presidential election on likely to see Bashar al-Assad win The new rules require candidates to have lived in Syria for the
Syrian presidential election called for June 3 despite ...
Syria called a presidential election for June 3, aiming to give President Bashar al-Assad a veneer of electoral if there are no presidential candidates by
Syria presidential candidates 'to register from Monday ...
Candidates for Syria's presidential election can the end of President Bashar al-Assad's term on July 17. The vote will be face of hemp in
Four new candidates join Syria presidential race | News ...
expected to return President Bashar al-Assad to candidates join Syria presidential competing in the vote to two. Syria's constitution
PressTV - Iran supports presidential election in Syria ...
the upcoming presidential election in Syria Syrian President Bashar al-Assad country would vote on May 28 and candidates would be able
Syrian elections: Bashar al-Assad registers to stand in ...
Bashar al-Assad is widely expected to win the presidential election. Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has declared he will run Hidden face of
