Syria’s cabinet has endorsed a draft law allowing political parties, apparently reversing a decades-old ban on organized political opposition to the ruling Baath party of President Bashar al-Assad.
The bill, passed in a cabinet meeting on Sunday after more than four months of antigovernment protests, sets strict criteria for the formation of new parties. These include commitment to the constitution and a ban on links or affiliation to any non-Syrian political groupings. Applications for a license are to be considered by a committee that will give an explanation for any rejection, the official Syrian news agency Sana reported.