21 Aug 2012 18:28

Demanding Assad's resignation before start of national dialogue undemocratic - official

MOSCOW. Aug 21 (Interfax) - Demanding the resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as a pre-condition for launching a Syrian national dialogue is not democratic, this issue can only be discussed during the dialogue, Syrian Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil said.

"Demanding the resignation before finding mechanisms that the Syrian people will be able to use - is that a democratic way? It is an attempt to impose on us a certain decision," he told a press conference in Moscow.

"Any problem can be discussed in the dialogue proper, and even this issue (Assad's resignation) can be discussed too," the high-ranking Syrian official said.