CAIRO: Arab ministers meeting on Sunday to decide the fate of their widely criticised Syria observer mission discussed a possible transfer of power to the vice-president and a national unity government within two months.
According to a draft resolution, a copy of which was seen by AFP, the League foreign ministers recommended "continuing the observer mission in Syria and cooperation with the UN Secretary General to reinforce their task."
The text stipulates that "President (Bashar al-Assad) delegate his powers to the first vice president, who would have every prerogative to cooperate with a national unity government that would include the opposition."
Such a government would be formed "within two months, and be presided over by a consensus candidate. Its mission would be to implement the Arab League plan to end the crisis, and to prepare free and fair legislative and presidential elections under both Arab and international supervision."
The national unity government would also prepare the election of a constituent assembly within three months and a new constitution which would be put to a referendum.
The Arab League observer mission, which deployed in Syria on December 26, has been widely criticised - mainly by the Syrian opposition which accuses it of being ineffective, and which wants the UN Security Council to act.
According to the United Nations, more than 5,400 people have been killed since the opposition to Assad's regime erupted in mid-March last year.
