Damascus is 'considering' reform

Syria's vice-president has called for a transition to democracy in a country ruled for four decades by an authoritarian family dynasty, saying mass protests have forced the regime to consider reforms while also warning against further demonstrations.

Farouk al-Sharaa spoke yesterday at a national dialogue meeting, with some critics of the government in attendance. However, key opposition figures driving the four-month-old uprising boycotted the meeting, saying they refuse to talk until a deadly crackdown on protesters ends.

"I hope that we will reach … transition to a pluralistic democratic state that enjoys equality for all citizens who participate in forming their own shining future," Mr Sharaa said at the start of two days of talks in the capital, Damascus.

His comments highlighted the extent to which the uprising has shaken President Bashar al-Assad, who inherited power from his father in 2000. While Mr Assad himself has acknowledged the need for reforms in recent weeks, the high-level call for multi-party democracy was remarkable.

Still, Mr Sharaa also made thinly veiled threats against the protesters and suggested some received direction from abroad.

"Arabs will not obtain their goals if they rely on foreigners," he said. "Unauthorised protests that lead to unwanted violence will cause the fall of more civilians and soldiers," he said.

Such a carrot-and-stick approach reflects the Syrian regime's policy of using both brute force and tentative promises of reform to try to quell the uprising, which was inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. About 1,600 civilians and 350 members of security forces have been killed since demonstrations began, activists say.

Omar Idilbi, a spokesman for a loose network of anti-government activists, said: "They are blockading (restive] cities, and killing demonstrators, arresting people and torturing people to death. That cannot create a good environment for dialogue."

Mr Sharaa acknowledged that the promise of reforms would not have come without the uprising.

"It must be recognised, that without the blood sacrificed by civilians and soldiers … this national dialogue would not have been held, at this high level of supervision, under the lens of cameras," he said.

In a rare acknowledgment of the regime's mistakes, Mr Sharaa said that the demonstrations were triggered by "a great deal of mistakes … that we swept under our carpets, without thinking deeply about the coming days".

Several opposition figures, intellectuals and members of parliament joined the dialogue.

Their presence was a rare step in a country where people rarely criticise the regime publicly or directly, fearing retribution by the all-pervasive security forces.

On live Syrian television - tightly controlled by the regime - a series of intellectuals slammed the government for using force against protesters.

As the conference was being held, the foreign ministry summoned the American and French ambassadors to protest over their visits to the city of Hama, which has become an opposition stronghold.

The ministry said the visits on Thursday and Friday amounted to interference in the country's internal affairs and accused the ambassadors of undermining Syria's stability.

The diplomats arrived in the city on Thursday and stayed overnight, but left before thousands took to the streets there on Friday as part of the weekly protests around the country.