Syria’s President, who is fighting an Arab Spring-inspired revolt, yesterday called a constitutional referendum that would effectively end nearly 50 years of single-party rule, state media said.

Promises of reform usually followed by increased brutality

A day after rejecting UN allegations of crimes against humanity, Bashar al-Assad called the referendum for February 26, in a move aimed at placating growing global outrage over the bloodshed.

The proposed charter drops Article 8, which declared the ruling Baath Party as the “leader of the state and society,” allowing for a multi-party system, state TV said.

The President, who must be a Muslim man, can serve a maximum of two seven-year terms, although it is unclear if this would apply to Mr Assad, who is already in his second term.

In April, Mr Assad scrapped emergency rule in force since 1963, when the Baathists took power in a coup d’etat. But he has repeatedly promised reforms that have failed to materialise since the uprising erupted in March. The embattled 46-year-old President, who succeeded his late father Hafez in 2000, has said the Constitution would usher in a “new era” for Syria, Sana state news agency said.

The US dismissed the move as laughable but Russia, a major weapons supplier to Damascus, welcomed it.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said “it’s actually quite laughable – it makes a mockery of the Syrian revolution. Promises of reforms have usually been followed by an increase in brutality and have never been delivered upon by this regime since the beginning of peaceful demonstrations in Syria.”

Regardless, the proposed charter rules out most of the opposition as it bans religious parties and dual nationals, preventing the SNC, which includes the Muslim Brotherhood, and most of its leadership from running for office.

The opposition Syrian National Council is likely to reject the constitution, given that one of its main guiding principles is “to overthrow the regime using all legal means.”

Analysts said the referendum was too little, too late and fell short of what was required to end the uprising inspired by similar movements that last year overthrew authoritarian leaders in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.

Mr Assad’s decision came as activists said troops stormed the central city of Hama and stepped up assaults nationwide, defiant in the face of mounting Arab and Western peace efforts.

Amnesty International said more than 607 people had been killed in Syria, including 45 children, since February 3, when government troops launched a major assault on the flashpoint central city of Homs.

Mr Assad’s forces appear to have refrained from using air power to crush armed rebels to avoid a no-fly zone being imposed over the country.