Jordan's king calls on Syria's Assad to step down

[pampango]

Source: BBC

Jordan's king has become the first Arab leader to openly say Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should stand down. He urged President Assad to launch dialogue with the opposition to effect an orderly transition.

"If Bashar has the interest of his country, he would step down, but he would also create an ability to reach out and start a new phase of Syrian political life," he said. "That's the only way I would see it work and I don't think people are asking that question," he added. King Abdullah warned there would be "more of the same" if whoever replaced President Assad did not change the status quo.

The Arab League is set to hold another meeting to discuss Syria on Wednesday.

Russia on Monday condemned the suspension. "Someone really does not want the Syrians to agree among themselves," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Moscow.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15723023

[denverbill]

1. I wouldn't mind Assad leaving, but a King is hardly the one to give advice.

Kind of like Herman or Newt giving advice on marital fidelity.

[mazzarro]

2. +1,000%

Hope he follows his own advice when his own people ramp up their demand for a change in leadership of the country and he does not pull the crap of divine coronation!

[TheWraith]

3. Jordan is a constitutional monarchy. They have an elected government. nt

[Fool Count]

5. No, they do not. They have a government appointed by the king

who is the chief executive. Formally, they are indeed a "constitutional monarchy",
since such system is written into the constitution.

[MADem]

4. WOW. This is actually quite a big deal, regionally speaking. NT