Arab League calls for Syrian president to hand off power

The regional bloc's proposals come after a meeting to review the findings of an observer mission. It also seeks the formation of a unity government in Syria to prepare for early elections.

By Amro Hassan and Alexandra Zavis,
Los Angeles Times
8:40 PM PST, January 22, 2012

Reporting from Cairo and Damascus, Syria

With no end to the bloodshed in Syria, the Arab League on Sunday called for President Bashar Assad to hand over power to his top deputy and sought the formation of a unity government to prepare for early elections.

The league's demands seem certain to anger the Syrian government, which blames months of unrest on "foreign conspiracies" and has repeatedly rejected what it regards as attacks on its sovereignty.

League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby said the 22-member regional bloc would seek endorsement from the United Nations Security Council for its plan but did not say what it would do if Syria did not comply with its demands.

The political road map outlined by Arab foreign ministers at a meeting in Cairo is similar to a plan that saw Yemen's longtime ruler hand much of his authority to his vice president ahead of presidential elections in February, in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

(More here.)