Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad Cairo – Akram Ali The Arab League foreign ministers Sunday called on embattled Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to hand over power to his deputy and fully cooperate with a Syrian National Unity Government to be formed within two months. The move is aimed to enable the unity government to perform its duties during a transitional phase. The events came about in accordance with the Arab initiative, to which Algeria expressed reservations and Lebanon distanced itself from, at a time when head of the Syrian National Council (SNC) Burhan Ghalioun refused to negotiate with the Assad regime.
Arab foreign ministers stated that the aim of forming a national unity government in Syria is to establish a political pluralist democracy, where all civilians would be seen equal regardless of their affiliations and religious sects.
They also stressed the need to form a stable government with participation of the government and the opposition within two months led by a figure to be agreed upon, with a mission to implement the Arab League plan and preparing for free pluralist parliamentary and presidential elections, with accordance to a law which stipulates Arab and international supervision.  
The unity government promised an independent commission to investigate the violations suffered by Syrian civilians and redress for victims. They are also to prepare for constituent assembly elections, under Arab and international supervision, within three months of formation, to draft a new Syrian constitution on which a popular referendum will be held. The tasks of the constituent assembly are to be carried out in six months at the most, according to the Arab League plan, so that presidential elections are held afterward.
Chairman of the AL Ministerial Committee, Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad Bin Jassim Al-Thani, said in a press conference following the foreign ministers' meeting on Sunday that the proposal envisages the creation of a unity government as a prelude to early parliamentary and presidential elections. He compared the proposal to the Gulf plan on Yemen, which saw President Ali Abdullah Saleh agree to hand over power.
Following the Ministerial Committee press conference, the SNC held a press conference of its own in Cairo, announcing its refusal to negotiate with the Assad regime.
“This confirms that all Arab countries today consider the tyrannical regime of Bashar Al-Assad to be finished and that it must be replaced,” said leader of the National Council Burhan Ghalioun.
The SNC, which urged the League to refer the Syrian crisis to the UN Security Council, welcomed the initiative,and stressed the need to go to the Security Council to set mechanisms to protect civilians.
Following the report prepared by the head of the Arab League mission Ahmed Al-Dabi, the Ministerial Committee also decided to resume the Syria mission and extend it for a month, in addition to cooperating with the UN Secretary General to provide them with technical and financial support.
Meanwhile, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal announced, at the opening of the meeting, that Saudi Arabia will pull out its observers from the mission.
He told the meeting that Riyadh was pulling out because the Syrian government had not followed the Arab peace plan it agreed to before the monitors were sent.
"We are calling on the international community to bear its responsibility, and that includes our brothers in Islamic states and our friends in Russia, China, Europe and the United States," he said.
Meanwhile, Syrian official news agency Sana cited an official source announcing Syria’s rejection of the proposals of the Arab League Ministerial Council to transfer power, considering them "a violation of Syria’s national sovereignty and a blatant intervention in internal affairs."
The source stated that Syria condemned the proposals, which came in the framework of the conspiracy against Syria, according to Sana.
The source also criticised the Ministerial Council saying that their responsibility lay in ending the funding and arms support of “terrorist groups” which kill Syrian civilians and attack institutions, in addition to ending “misleading media campaigns” that are responsible for the bloodshed of innocent Syrians by inciting more violence.
Such a decision, according to the same source, ignored the deliberate efforts made by Syria in implementing the comprehensive reforms announced by President Assad, which includes political pluralism and drafting a new constitution to be put to referendum soon, noting that many countries leading the “hostile campaign against Syria” lacked such reforms, according to the source cited by Sana.
Sana reported the source further stating that the Arab League decisions, which contradict with the interests of the Syrian people, would not deter Syria from proceeding with its reforms and achieving security and stability for its people, "who have proved, in the current crisis, their commitment to national unity and support to al-Assad’s leadership."
Meanwhile, Syrian rebels said that army deserters had briefly taken control of much of the Damascus suburb of Douma on Saturday night after fierce fighting with the security services. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the fighting broke out after security services shot dead four civilians at a funeral service.
In a separate development, at least 14 people died after a van carrying prisoners was blown up on a road in north-west Syria on Saturday, reports say. Sana news agency said the police van was attacked by an "armed group" on the Idlib-Ariha highway.
Activists said armed rebels then stormed the state hospital and found another 60 bodies in the mortuary, some of them showing signs of torture. Human Rights activists also said 30 unidentified corpses had been discovered at the National Hospital in Idlib.
The UN has said that more than 5,000 have died since protests against President Bashar Al-Assad erupted last March. The government in Damascus said that some 2,000 members of the security forces have also been killed combating "armed gangs and terrorists".