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| Syrian President Bashar al-Assad |
Damascus : Syria's president Bashar al-Assad in a televised speech to his cabinet said that he expects the government to lift the country's decades-old emergency laws next week.
Lifting of the state of emergency has been a key demand during a wave of protests over the past four weeks. The emergency laws give the regime a free hand to arrest people without charge and extends the state's authority into virtually every aspect of Syrians' lives
Bashar al-Assad's speech was aired by Syrian television after they swore the constitutional
oath to him. He chaired the first session of the new council of ministers.In his speech, the president said "the laws to lift state of emergency will be enacted by next week". He said he realises there is a gap between citizens and the state institutions and that the government has to "keep up with the aspirations of the people".
"The world is rapidly changing around us and we have to keep up with developments," he said. "We have to focus on the demands and the aspirations of the people or there will be a sense of anger".
He said unemployment remains the biggest problems in the country, and pledged that his new government will follow through on measures introduced by the former cabinet.
Adel Safar, the prime minister, unveiled the new cabinet on Thursday, and it is expected to carry out broad changes, including lifting the emergency law and replacing it with new anti-terrorism legislation.
But the government has little power in the one-party state dominated by Assad, his family and the security apparatus.
