ALEPPO, Syria — The Syrian government sponsored a caucus March 22 for Arab clans and tribes in Deir ez-Zor province in eastern Syria in a move that appeared to rally support for President Bashar al-Assad in the upcoming presidential elections.

The final statement of the one-day forum said that the clans adhere to the unity, land and people of Syria and that they “stand by the Syrian army under Assad’s command.” The forum sent a message to Assad pledging that “the sons of Deir ez-Zor will always remain faithful soldiers behind his wise and courageous leadership, as they believe it is the only thing capable of bringing Syria to safety.”

The official Syrian News Agency quoted several tribal leaders at the forum who stated their support for the Syrian leadership in its fight against terrorism in Syria. Among them was Sheikh Nawaf al-Bashire of the Bakara tribe, who said, “We uphold the unity of the Syrian territories and we stand by the Syrian Arab Army in its fight against terrorism. Our choice in the upcoming elections will be the President Bashar al-Assad, who represents our guarantee for Syria’s national security.”

Fadel Najjar, the governor of Deir ez-Zor, said in a March 22 statement to Al-Watan newspaper, which is close to the Syrian regime, “Adhering to the leadership of the president is the choice of the Arab tribes in the next stage.”