Syrian authorities reject the new initiative of the Arab League to settle the situation in the country. The opposition had a reserved reaction to the Arab League initiative to resolve the Syrian crisis offered at a session of Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo on Sunday, RIA Novosti reports.
Syrian authorities say that Arab League initiatives would harm national sovereignty and intervene into interior affairs of the state. Burhan Ghalioun, head of the Syrian National Council, said that they support Arab League decisions in general but need time for scrupulous studies of documents to make the final and balanced decision. The Arab League initiatives recognize the right of Syrian people for opposition, democracy and democratic elections, he says.
Ghalioun added that the Arab League statement clearly marks the end of the rule of President Bashar Assad. He thanked the LAS for drawing attention of the UN Security Council to the problem.
Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber bin Muhammad Al Thani, Prime Minister of and Foreign Minister of Qatar, said that the Arab League had developed a plan to settle the problem in Syria, basing on experience of the crisis in Yemen. The plan involves passing of Bashar Assad’s power to Vice-Premier Farouk al-Sharaa. Syria is to form a new government under a leader that suits all sides and hold elections within 6 months. Arab ministers want the UN Security Council to approve the initiatives.
Vestnik Kavkaza reported earlier that the Arab League had prolonged its monitoring mission in Syria by another month, as decided at a meeting of Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo. More monitors were sent, they will undergo UN training.
The conflict in Syria has been ongoing for about 10 months. The UN said that over 5,000 people had died.
