The Arab League on Sunday rejected amendments proposed by Damascus to its proposal to send a 500-strong delegation to monitor the violence in Syria, saying they would radically alter the mission. “It was agreed that the amendments and appendices proposed by the Syrian side affect the core of the document and would radically change the nature of the mission which is to oversee the implementation of the Arab plan to end the crisis in Syria and protect Syrian civilians,” the Arab League said in a statement. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem hit out on Sunday at members of the Arab League which he accused of using the organisation as a “tool” to reach the UN Security Council.
“There is no room for hasty decisions but rational thinking is needed because there are some parts of the Arab world which are using the Arab League as a tool to reach the Security Council,” Muallem told a news conference.
Meanwhile, the opposition Syrian National Council announced Sunday a political programme aimed at bringing down President Bashar al-Assad followed by a parliamentary election after a year’s transition. The SNC in its statement said its goal was to “build a democratic, pluralistic, and civil state by … breaking down the existing regime, including all of its operatives and symbols.” The SNC, the country’s largest and most representative opposition group, said another objective was “preserving, protecting, and enhancing the peaceful nature of the popular revolution.”
The SNC said once the regime falls, it would “take responsibility, with the military apparatus, to manage the transitional period and guarantee the security and unity of the country” during the transition. It would try to forge a “pluralistic… parliamentary republic… based on the principles of equal citizenship with separation of powers… the rule of law, and the protection and guarantee of the rights of minorities.” “Within one year at most, the interim government will organise free elections with Arab and international observers to elect a Constitutional Assembly tasked with drafting a new constitution for the country that is then voted on by the people in a referendum,” said the statement. “Free parliamentary elections shall be held within six months, in accordance with the new constitution.” Arab League foreign ministers will meet on Thursday to discuss Syria, which has failed to heed a deadline to halt a crackdown on protests against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.
