Syrian National Council votes to broaden membership

PanARMENIAN.Net - An organizer says the main Syrian opposition bloc, the Syrian National Council, has voted to broaden its membership to include more activists and political groups from inside the country, according to The Associated Press.

Up to now, the SNC has largely made up of exiles, prompting criticism that it is out of touch with those risking their lives to topple President Bashar Assad.

Anas Abdah, an organizer of an SNC conference in Doha, says a majority of 222 delegates approved the additions Monday, Nov 5, nearly doubling the size of the group's general assembly to some 420.

The U.S. and others have urged the SNC to become more representative. However, Monday's vote may not be enough to avert a U.S.-backed plan to set up a new leadership group in which the SNC would play a lesser role.