Syrian opposition in disarray as leader quits

Dubai: The Syrian opposition fell into further disorder yesterday as Burhan Galioun, the head of the Syrian National Council (SNC), an umbrella bloc of opposition figures, resigned just two days after his controversial re-election.

"I will not allow myself to be the candidate of division. I am not attached to a position, so I announce that I will step down after a new candidate has been chosen, either by consensus or through new elections," the Paris-based academic said in a statement.

Galioun's announcement came shortly after the Local Coordination Committees, a network of activists on the ground in Syria, threatened to pull out of the SNC over its "monopolisation" of power.

The SNC was criticised for not coordinating with activists, and for the strong influence wielded by representatives of Syria's Muslim Brotherhood.

Galioun's re-election in Tuesday's leadership contest, with 21 out of the 40 votes cast, was also criticised by activists for being decided by the Brotherhood. It came despite SNC rules that require the chairman's rotation every three months. While many observers viewed the resignation as a step forward they say the SNC still needs serious reform.

On the ground, the situation was even more bleak. Syrian forces sent shells crashing into rebel stronghold Rastan yesterday, a watchdog said. Rami Abdul Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 30 shells smashed into Rastan in a 10-minute period.

Elsewhere, two blasts rocked the neighbourhoods of Al Jamila and Al Furqan in Aleppo. The Observatory alleged troops had this week carried out two "massacres" of civilians — one in Homs city and another in the town of Khan Sheikhun in Idlib province.

Meanwhile, President Bashar Al Assad in an interview with a Russian state news channel on Wednesday denounced the armed opposition as a gang of "criminals" who he said contained extremists, including members of Al Qaida.