May 24, 2012 - 14:15 AMT
Syria's main opposition council accepts its president resignation

Syria's main opposition council has accepted the resignation of its Paris-based president who had earlier offered to step down amid mounting criticism of his leadership.

The executive committee of the Syrian National Council asked Burhan Ghalioun to pursue his duties until a new president is elected at a meeting on June 9 and 10.

The committee also pledged in a statement issued late Wednesday, May 23 to restructure the opposition council to make it more inclusive, the Associated Press reported.

The SNC has been plagued by infighting and divisions since its inception in September, complicating Western efforts to bolster the opposition. Ghalioun's offer to resign came just days after he was re-elected for a third, three month term in a controversial vote in Rome.