Dubai: Syrian artillery pounded rebel-held areas of Homs on Monday as Damascus claimed that its people have approved a new constitution that was dismissed by the opposition and the West as a "farce".
State television declared that 89.4 per cent voted in favour of a new document that would allow other political parties to compete with Bashar Al Assad's ruling Baath party and impose a presidential limit of two terms of seven years each.
Syrians, speaking to Gulf News on condition of anonymity, said they witnessed irregularities in Sunday's poll. "Syrian authorities showed up at my company and forced 500 of my employees to vote. They even provided the transportation. However, none of them was asked to bring identification to the centre," he said.
The opposition says that they are not interested in cosmetic changes to the regime and insist Al Assad step down from power.
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Meanwhile, European Union foreign ministers agreed on new sanctions against Syria yesterday, targeting its central bank and seven cabinet ministers.
Arming fighters
Qatar's prime minister added to the world pressure saying yesterday that he was in favour of delivering arms to the opposition.
"This uprising in Syria now [has lasted] one year. For 10 months, it was peaceful: nobody was carrying weapons, nobody was doing anything. And Bashar continued killing them," Shaikh Hamad Bin Jasem Al Thani said.
"So I think they're right to defend themselves by weapons and I think we should help these people by all means," he added.
Red Cross teams reached Hama for the first time in more than a month yesterday, delivering food and other goods. Activist groups said the death toll had surpassed 8,000.
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