SYRIA’S PRESIDENT Bashar al- Assad and Egypt’s ruling military council have met major demands of popular protests, with very different results.
On Saturday Mr Assad said the country’s emergency law, imposed in 1963 when the Baath party took power, would be lifted next week and replaced by new legislation.
He warned, however, that there would be no pretext for protest once the emergency law was abolished and reforms demanded by the people were implemented.
“After that, we will not tolerate any attempt at sabotage,” he said.
He promised that the new government would tackle poverty, unemployment and corruption and said all the estimated 200 Syrian protesters and soldiers who died in recent demonstrations would be regarded as “martyrs”.
Despite the president’s positive tone, Syrians promptly returned to the streets in the capital’s suburbs and the coastal city of Baniyas to protest against the regime’s policies and crackdown on dissent.
The Damascus Declaration, Syria’s leading domestic pro-democracy group, urged Syrians to demonstrate to maintain pressure for reform. They came out yesterday in Deraa, the epicentre of the protests, and nearby Suweida.
In Egypt, the higher administrative court – acting under the orders of the military-led caretaker government – ruled to dissolve the former ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) and confiscate its assets.
The NDP dominated the political scene from 1976 until former president Hosni Mubarak was ousted on February 11th.
The uprooting of the party’s structures has been the second most important objective of the popular democracy movement following Mr Mubarak’s removal.
The only serious act of vandalism by activists was the torching of NDP headquarters on the edge of Tahrir Square, the hub of the uprising. NDP party officers and former ministers are in prison and under investigation for abuse of power and corruption.
Holding the Mubarak family accountable for abuse of power and fraud was the primary objective of the democracy movement. This was achieved when he and his sons were detained last week.
Mr Mubarak, who suffered a mild heart attack while being questioned, remains in hospital at Sharm al-Sheikh, where he took refuge after resigning. His sons Alaa and Gamal are in Cairo’s Tora prison and expected in court tomorrow.
Prosecutors are due to resume questioning Mr Mubarak on April 28th over allegations of misappropriation of funds and ordering the killing of peaceful protesters.
