Syria constitution approved, dismissed as “farce”February 27, 2012 - 21:39 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Syria’s government said its citizens approved a new constitution supporting President Bashar al- Assad’s bid to introduce political pluralism after almost a year of violence as the European Union tightened sanctions, Bloomberg reported. The referendum drew 57.4 percent of eligible voters, or about 8.4 million people, with 89.4 percent of casting ballots in favor of the proposal, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency said on its website, citing the Interior Ministry. Fewer than 1 million people, or 9 percent of voters, rejected the new charter, Syrian state television said. Assad’s forces continued to shell cities in central and northern Syria during and after the vote. “The referendum in Syria is nothing more than a farce,” German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in a statement. “Phony votes cannot contribute to a solution to the crisis.” Assad is facing growing international pressure to end his crackdown on dissent as he seeks to affirm his mandate as Syria’s leader with the new constitution. The EU decided to freeze the central bank’s assets, ban precious-metals trading with the country and prohibit cargo-only flights to the bloc. The measures build on an oil embargo approved last September. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is campaigning for re-election, said France would press Russia and China to drop their opposition to United Nations sanctions against Syria. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Lemkin Institute petition seeks release of Armenians in Azerbaijan The Lemkin Institute is deeply concerned about the continued illegal detention of political prisoners from Karabakh in Azerbaijan. Armenian Catholicos calls for national unity against threats Karekin II issued a message on Republic Day marking the anniversary of the First Armenian Republic. Pashinyan: Armenia’s desired goal is “on the horizon” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia is moving forward “without interruption”. Opposition leader, supporters spend night at Sardarapat memorial Police made nearly 300 arrests the day before as Galstanyan and his supporters continued to demonstrate in Yerevan. |