Syria votes on new constitution as violence continues

PanARMENIAN.Net - Syrians began voting Sunday, February 26 on a new constitution that the government says will introduce political pluralism, as violence continued in several areas across the country, M&C reported citing DPA.

More than 14,000 polling stations opened nationwide for about 15 million eligible voters, according to the Interior Ministry.

The opposition announced a boycott of the referendum, saying it was “stained with blood” and created by President Bashar al-Assad's Baathist regime.

The main change in the new draft from the 1973 constitution allows the establishment of new political parties. The ruling Baath party took power in 1963.

The draft also sets the minimum age of the president back up to 40, instead of 34.

When Bashar al-Assad succeeded his father Hafez in 2000, the constitution was then amended to reduce the required age for holding the top post to 34 years to make him eligible.

Government forces continued shelling areas in the central province of Homs, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Clashes erupted between government troops and army defectors in the southern province of Daraa, killing one person.

At least 83 people were killed on Saturday in a sustained clampdown on rebel areas.

According to the observatory, more than 7,700 people have been killed in the government crackdown on pro-democracy protests that began in mid-March, demanding the ouster of al-Assad.