DAMASCUS – Syrian president says Arab leaders will have to enact democratic reforms as increasing number of Facebook pages call for protests in Damascus.
Syrian President Bashar Assad addressed the protests in Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen, saying they spell the beginning of a “new era” in the Middle East in which Arab rulers will have to enact democratic reforms. Assad’s comments came in an interview published in Monday’s Wall Street Journal.
The Syrian leader’s recognition of the need for reform in the Arab world came as an increasing number of calls for mass protests in Syria were being seen on Facebook. According to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) website, multiple Facebook pages are calling on the Syrian masses to take to the streets on February 5 in peaceful demonstrations against Assad’s oppressive regime. The organizers of the Syrian “Day of Rage” are demanding an improvement in living standards, respect for human rights, freedom of speech for all Syrian citizens, and greater influence for Syrian youth.
Despite the calls for protests in Syria, Assad maintained in the Wall Street Journal interview that he is closer to the grassroots of his nation than Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak because of his anti-US stance and confrontational relationship with Israel.
“Syria is stable. Why? Because you have to be very closely linked to the beliefs of the people. This is the core issue. When there is divergence…you will have this vacuum that creates disturbances,” Assad stated.
Assad said that he would enact some political reforms this year, but he indicated that he is unlikely to institute sweeping changes like those being called for in Egypt and Tunisia. He stated that Syria needs time to improve education and build institutions prior to democratizing the country’s political system.
“Is it going to be a new era toward more chaos or more institutionalization? That is the question,” Assad said. “The end is not clear yet.”
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