Syrian president Bashar al-Assad today offered to hold multi-party elections within four months as his troops assaulted city districts held by rebels trying to oust him.
Under world pressure to end a crackdown that has cost at least 6,000 lives, Dr Assad promised a referendum in two weeks' time on a new constitution leading to elections within 90 days.
Opposition figures spurned the offer, however, and the United States called it "laughable".
According to state media, the draft constitution to be put to a vote on February 26th would establish a multi-party system in Syria, under Baath Party rule since 1963. Parliamentary elections would follow within 90 days of its approval.It would allow the president to be elected for two terms of seven years.
Dr Assad's late father Hafez al-Assad was president for 29 years and was succeeded by his son when he died in 2000.
"The political system of the state will be based on a principle of political plurality and democracy will be practiced through the voting box," Syria TV cited the draft as saying. It also said new parties cannot be based on a religion or regional interests, a clause that would exclude the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood or autonomy-seeking Kurdish parties.
However, Dr Assad made clear he was still intent on crushing the uprising as the military unleashed a new offensive in Hama, a city with a history of resistance to Assad's late father, Hafez al-Assad, firing at residential neighbourhoods with anti-aircraft guns mounted on armoured vehicles, opposition activists said.
Artillery also shelled parts of Homs for the 13th day in a row. In Damascus, troops backed by armour swept into the Barzeh district, searching houses and making arrests, witnesses said.
International efforts to halt the carnage have faltered. France said it was negotiating a new UN Security Council resolution on Syria with Russia, Dr Assad's ally and main arms supplier, and also wanted to create humanitarian corridors to ease the plight of civilians caught up in the violence."
French foreign minister Alain Juppe said a UN General Assembly vote tomorrow on a non-binding resolution on Syria would be "symbolic". It follows a February 4th veto by Russia and China of a draft Security Council resolution that backed an Arab League call for Dr Assad to quit.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei said he would listen to Mr Juppe's views, but added: "If the plan is to use the Security Council and United Nations to adopt some language to help legitimise regime change, then I'm afraid international law does not allow this and we cannot support such an approach."
The Arab League also wants a joint UN-Arab peacekeeping force to be deployed in Syria and has adopted a resolution that would allow its members to arm Syrian rebels.
Western powers are keen to see Dr Assad go but are wary of intervening in Syria, at the heart of a volatile region.
A member of the opposition Syrian National Council in exile said political reform had come too late to slow what began as a mostly peaceful protest movement but which has turned violent.
Melhem al-Droubi, an SNC member and senior Muslim Botherhood figure, said Dr Assad must simply leave power.
"This constitutional draft came 11 months late. The truth is Bashar al-Assad has increased the killing and slaughter in Syria. He has lost his legitimacy and we aren't interested in his rotten constitutions, old or new," he said.Syria's current constitution does not limit the number of terms a president serve.
Reuters