Syrian election will undermine political solution - U.N.'s Ban

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon warns that Syria's newly announced presidential election will undermine efforts to achieve a political solution to Syria's three-year-old civil war if it goes ahead on June 3, the United Nations said on Monday.

Ban and international Syria mediator Lakhdar Brahimi have "warned that the holding of elections in the current circumstances amid the ongoing conflict and massive displacement will damage the political process and hamper the prospects for a political solution," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.