Syria announced Monday a presidential election for June 3, preparing the ground for President Bashar Assad to defy widespread opposition and extend his grip on power, days after he said the civil war is turning in his favor.

Western and Gulf Arab countries that back Assad's opponents have called plans for an election a "parody of democracy" and said it will wreck efforts to negotiate a peace settlement.

U.N.-backed talks in Geneva collapsed in February with both sides far from agreement — not least over the question of whether Assad should go.