He was nominated as one of only three candidates for the 2014 Syrian presidential election running against President Bashar al-Assad. The armed opposition described it as just an attempt "to give legitimacy" to the election and that Hajjar had been persuaded to stand by the Syrian security services. Given that the Constitution of Syria requires at least 35 MPs to nominate a presidential candidate, nearly all of his nominations must have come from either independents or MPs from the ruling National Progressive Front. After his nomination, the People's Will Party distanced themselves party from Hajjar, claiming that Hajjar was no longer a member of either the party or the Popular Front for Liberation and Change and that "Hajjar represented only himself".