Damascus, Oct 16 (IANS/RIA Novosti): Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has signed a decree to draft a new constitution within four months to meet the opposition's prime demand, the SANA news agency said Saturday.
A special constitutional committee will be set to work on the draft. The committee will include representatives of the opposition namely Qadri Jamil, member of the Popular Front for Change and Liberation. His delegation visited Moscow last week.
Muhamed Buheitan, deputy general secretary of the ruling Baath Party, said the new draft constitution would have to be approved by two thirds of the parliament and then put for vote at a national referendum.
Syria has been rocked with protests against the al-Assad regime for seven months. The authorities used force to quash the riots.
The UN said 3,000 people have died while the government said the toll was half as many.