Syrian president forms committee to draft constitution

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad decreed Saturday the formation of a national committee providing for preparing a draft constitution to Syria within the next four months. The committee comprises of 29 academics, lawyers and opposition figures. The move announced by the state-run news agency considered by analysts as "an evidence that the leadership is serious about going on with reform." Hamdi Abdullah, an analyst, told Xinhua by phone that the move opened the way for political and democratic pluralism and would allow crown the reform process, which the Syrians are hoping for. Qadri Jamil, an opposition figure and a member of the newly formed committee, told Xinhua the move to amend the constitution aims to lift Syria to a new level, adding that we have a lot of work ahead of us to prepare new constitution. One of the main demands the Syrian protestors have raised was amending the constitution, particularly canceling section eight in the constitution which states that the Baath party is the leader of the nation and the society. The amendment of section eight would open the way for the formation of parties besides the Baath and 11 other closely associated parties known as the National Progressive Front. According to a recent UN tally, 3,000 people have been killed since the eruption of protests in mid-March. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem recently put the number of army officers and law-enforcement troops killed by "terrorist groups" since the eruption of protests at more than 1,110.