Syria Rejects Arab League Proposal for Talks on National Unity Government
The Syrian government rejected an Arab League proposal that calls on President Bashar al-Assad to delegate power to a deputy and set up a unity government as a prelude to early parliamentary and presidential elections.
The initiative, approved by Arab League foreign ministers meeting in Cairo yesterday, is a violation of the countrys sovereignty, the Syrian Arab News Agency said, citing an unidentified government official.
We ask the Syrian regime to leave and hand over power, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasim Bin Jaber al Thani said yesterday. We are with the Syrian people, with their will and with their aspirations.
The Cairo-based organization sent observers to Syria on Dec. 26 to ensure Assad follows through on his pledge to withdraw security forces from cities, release political prisoners and allow anti-government demonstrations. The plan approved yesterday calls for the government and opposition to start a dialogue under the umbrella of the Arab League within two weeks and the formation of a national unity government within two months.
more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-23/syria-rejects-arab-league-proposal-for-talks-on-national-unity-government.html
pampango
(24,692 posts)Faced with the failure of its observer mission to curb the violence here as the stark features of a civil war emerge, the Arab League on Sunday unexpectedly floated an ambitious peace proposal that would require President Bashar al-Assad to hand over power to a deputy and start negotiations with his opponents within two weeks.
News reports on Monday, quoting Syrias state-run news SANA agency, said Damascus, as expected, rejected the plan. SANA quoted an unnamed official as saying Syria considers the plan a violation of its sovereignty and flagrant interference in its internal affairs, The Associated Press reported.
The proposal, which appeared to be modeled on the agreement recently signed by President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen, also calls for a government of national unity to be formed within two months, followed by presidential and parliamentary elections.
We ask that the Syrian regime leave and hand over power, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, Qatars foreign minister, said in Cairo, according to Reuters. We are with the Syrian people, with their will and with their aspirations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/24/world/middleeast/syria-reportedly-rejects-arab-league-peace-plan.html?_r=1
It's pretty obvious that Assad will do anything to retain power. He will bob-and-weave and say anything, but he knows the military and security services are his only hold on power,