'Flagrant interference'

Syria on Monday dismissed the latest calls from a team of Arab League observers to form a national unity government tasked at restoring peace to the troubled country.

The League's investigative team had recommended swiftly forming a national unity government with the opposition, also advocating that President Bashar al-Assad give full powers to his deputy to cooperate with the government during a transitional period.

"Syria rejects the decisions of the Arab League ministerial council...and considers them a violation of its national sovereignty and a flagrant interference in its internal affairs," Syrian state news agency SANA quoted an official source as saying. The source apparently described the suggestions as "part of the conspiracy against Syria."

The Arab League's plan, released on Sunday, would pave the way for free parliamentary and presidential elections. It was aimed at ending the 11 months of unrest that the UN estimates has killed more than 5,400 people since anti-regime protests began in March last year.

The elections would be to form "a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution that will be voted on in a public referendum," according to a draft statement discussed by Arab foreign ministers.

The Arab League also voted to extend its observer mission in Syria by one month, despite criticism from the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) that the mission only allowed Assad more time to hunt down anti-government activists.

Saudi skepticism

Saudi Arabia, however, has already said it would withdraw its observers because the Syrian government had failed to live up to its promises. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told counterparts that Damascus "has not respected any of the clauses" in the original plan aimed at bringing about an end to the crisis.

"The international community, including the Islamic countries as well as China and Russia, should place every possible pressure on the Syrian government to implement the Arab initiative," al-Faisal said.

The Arab League's original plan had called on the Assad regime to withdraw its military from the cities, stop attacks on protesters, open talks with the opposition and allow human rights monitors and journalist into the country.

Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby had said that "Syria did not carry out all of its promises, although there is some implementation of pledges."

It is believed that the head of the observer team, Sudanese General Mohammed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi, wants the mission's mandate to be strengthened rather than brought to an end. A report drawn up by the mission was reported to attribute blame for the bloodshed to both the government of President Assad and the opposition.

In a statement late on Saturday, Dabi had said the mission's duty was to ensure that the terms of an Arab League peace plan was implemented, rather than to bring about a complete end to the violence.

Call for UN intervention

The opposition Syrian National Council meanwhile announced plans to send a delegation to press the UN Security Council to intervene, arguing the mission had been ineffective and was effectively giving Assad more time to kill his opponents. In a statement released by the group in Cairo on Sunday evening, the SNC called upon the Arab League to transfer the "Syria file" to the UN "as quickly as possible." 

There were clashes on Sunday between security forces and army defectors, with government forces apparently trying to recapture the town of Douma. According to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, defectors had seized control of Douma after security forces shot dead four civilians attending a funeral.

Authors: Mark Hallam, Spencer Kimball, Richard Connor (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)
Editor: Andrew Bowen