INDONESIA: Syrian envoy visits Indonesia, requests time to rewrite the nation's constitution and call an election

Record ID: 278821

  • Title: INDONESIA: Syrian envoy visits Indonesia, requests time to rewrite the nation's constitution and call an election
  • Date: 14th October 2011
  • Summary: SLATE INFORMATION
  • Embargoed: 29th October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Indonesia, Indonesia
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVACAPNUSOY3U9JIU8Z0ZRVNE4DN
  • Story Text: Syrian presidential media advisor Bouthaina Shaaban said on Thursday (October 13) that the nation is taking strides towards democracy.
    Her statements were made as fourteen people were killed by gunfire in two Syrian towns, according to an activist group. Those killed are believe to be defectors from the Syrian army.
    But on Wednesday (October 12) tens of thousands of Syrians demonstrated in central Damascus in a show of support for President Bashar al-Assad.
    Assad is battling a six-month old uprising against his rule in which the United Nations says 2,900 have been killed.
    Shaaban, who has repeatedly promised reforms, told a news conference in the capital of the world's most populous Muslim country - Indonesia - that Assad has responded to protests with a promise of change.
    "I would like also to assure you that the march of democracy and for pluralism in Syria is absolutely firm and it is in the hands of Syrian people who will accept nothing less than a civilized country that reflects their history and their capacity and their aspirations," said the envoy, who was applauded as she took the stage.
    She rejected foreign intervention, asserting that the uprising is a domestic matter.
    "Indonesia is a brother country and that is why I'm on the mission to friendly countries, to countries who are trying to understand and give us the space to implement what we have been doing."
    She acknowledged that change was needed in Syria and said elections would be called by February.
    "I'm working on the constitution, once re-writing of the constitution is over and it is subjected to a referendum, we expect that by February to call for parliamentary elections but under the new law with all new political parties that would like to participate in the election," she said.
    Shaaban is touring the two major Southeast Asia Muslim countries of Malaysia and Indonesia to garner support for her country which has grown increasingly unpopular following a brutal military crackdown on protesters.
    The United States and European Union have imposed sanctions on Syria and called on Assad to step down. Russia and China have blocked Western efforts seeking U.N. action against Damascus, but have told Assad he must speed up reforms.
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