Al-Assad’s reform promises dismissed
Assad said a national dialogue would start soon to review new legislation, including laws on parliamentary elections, the media, and allowing political parties other than his Baath Party, as well as look at possible changes to the constitution.
Activists and analysts dismissed his promises, saying they failed to engage the demands of protesters who for three months have defied a fierce military crackdown in rallying for greater freedoms, posing the gravest challenge to his 11-year tenure.
After his speech, delivered at Damascus University, demonstrators hit the streets of the capital’s suburbs and in the coastal city of Latakia, activists and residents said.
“The regime has no realisation that this is a mass street movement demanding freedom and dignity,” opposition figure Walid al-Bunni said. “Assad has not said anything to satisfy the families of the 1,400 martyrs or the national aspiration of the Syrian people for the country to become a democracy.”
The United States and European Union have already imposed sanctions on Assad and other senior officials. EU foreign ministers said they were preparing to expand the number of targets of sanctions.
Addressing the economic impact of the unrest, Assad urged Syrians to help restore confidence in their economy. “The most dangerous thing we face in the next stage is the weakness or collapse of the Syrian economy, and a large part of the problem is psychological.”
In just his third speech since unrest began in March, Assad appeared tense as he pledged to pursue a national dialogue on reforms and held out the prospect of expanding a recent amnesty, but made clear he would not be leaving as protesters demand.
Assad said he hoped the package of reforms should be ready by September, if parliamentary elections went ahead as scheduled in two months’ time.
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