Al Assad should step down immediately

Bashar Al Assad is determinedly wrong as he looks out at the death and destruction all over Syria from the comfort of his palace. As he was sworn in as president of Syria for a third seven-year term, after a ludicrous election conducted in a small part of the country that was still under government control, he lashed out at the “terrorists” whom he claims make up the Syrian opposition. He has steadfastly refused to recognise any legitimacy of the opposition or any of their views and insists that he will remain in power, despite the fighting still raging in Syria’s three-year long civil war. 2.5 million Syrians have fled to neighbouring countries and four million are suffering internal displacement as they flee their homes to escape being killed in the violence.

It is time for Al Assad to leave office and handover authority to a new order that can then forge some kind of a unity government. The alternative is years of destruction, which is unacceptable. A constitutional process should be started to end the civil war and avoid the chaos of radical nihilism.