European Parliament Calls on Assad to Step Down 'Immediately'
Members of the European Parliament called Thursday for the immediate departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who, by choosing repression instead of reforms, they said had lost all legitimacy.
In a resolution adopted in Strasbourg, the parliament called on Assad and his regime to "relinquish power immediately."
"The Syrian regime is calling its legitimacy into question by choosing a path of repression instead of fulfilling its own promises on broad reforms," the resolution said.
Members condemned the use of force against protesters and the persecution of activists and journalists while calling for "an independent, transparent and effective investigation into the killings, arrests, arbitrary detention and alleged forced disappearances and instances of torture by the Syrian security forces."
The European Union has along with the United States been calling for Assad to go since mid-August.
The resolution comes as member countries move to adopt a raft of economic sanctions against the Syrian regime which could include, in addition to a ban on oil investments, a ban on funding the Syrian central bank with notes printed in Europe.
Mikolaj Dowgielewicz, Secretary of State for European affairs and economic policy, said Wednesday that Assad has lost all credibility due to his broken promises and the use of force against his people.
"There is no way forward for Syria with this regime, and we think President al-Assad should now step aside," he said.
The United Nations estimates the Syrian government crackdown on protests has killed 2,600, mostly civilians, since March, while rights groups say thousands of people have been arrested in the crackdown.
over 12 years
نظام الأسد العلوي و إسرائيل اليهودية هم حلفاء ضمنيين , إسرائيل هي شريك ضمني في تحالف الأقليات في الشرق ضد الأكثرية السنية ,نعم يقوم النظام بالتعاون مع حزب الله ببعض المسرحيات و الحروب الخلبية التي قد تزعج إسرائيل قليلا و لكن و في العمق تعرف إسرائيل أن لهذه الإزعاجات حدود و أن النظام في العمق هو أقرب لها من أبناء جلدته من المسلمين لذلك تراها تسكت عنه و تدافع عنه من تحت الطاولةو تفضله عن غيره
over 12 years
The people of Syria need to follow the example of Libyans. Leave Lebanon out of this
over 12 years
The passion of demonstrations is clearly waning. The peak has passed long ago. Ordinary people are fed up with daily protests because they are just anti-business. People are actually not concerned with who rules the country.
We cannot leave our important future to unknown amaterus living in France or Germany, OR a self-claimed politician who hides his face and name.
By the way, are Syrian oppositions ready to accept the result if Bashar and/or al-Baath rates No. 1 in free election? 10 - 15% of fixed supporters of al-Baath is big enough to win the election in developed countries.
The Criminal Assad Regime should have its cage rattled very violently in order to get that murderer and his gang to relinquish power if at all, and this envolves a major military NATO assault on his palaces, Bath party HQ's and Assad's militia (mistakingly refered to as Army) barracks and weapons cashes. Only a major military blow can drive the message home for such primitive and criminally evil dictatorship regimes the likes of his and the Iranian regime. The free Syrian people that have been joined by the tens of thousands of deffectors will do the rest.