Syria's President intends to lift state of emergency laws

PanARMENIAN.Net - Syria's president Bashar Assad said on April 16 he expects state of emergency laws that have been in effect for nearly 50 years to be lifted by next week at the latest, a key demand by a month-long protest movement that has posed the most serious challenge to the authoritarian regime.

In his second public appearance since the protests began, Assad warned there will no longer be "an excuse" for organizing protests after Syria lifts the emergency laws and implements reforms.

"After that, we will not tolerate any attempt at sabotage," he told the newly formed Cabinet in a televised address.

Syria's widely despised emergency laws have been in place since the ruling Baath party came to power in 1963, giving the regime a free hand to arrest people without charge and extending state authority into virtually every aspect of Syrians' lives.

The protest movement has been steadily growing over the past four weeks and swelled on April 15 to the largest and most widespread gatherings to date as tens of thousands of people made a bold march toward the capital, Damascus, Associated Press reported.