DAMASCUS: Syria’s government has adopted a draft law authorising multipartism in a move that could end the decades-old monopoly on power of President Bashar al-Assad’s Baath party, a report said on Monday.

The law was adopted by the government during the night, the official SANA news agency reported.

The government “adopted a draft law regarding political parties in Syria as part of a programme of reform aimed at enriching the political life, creating a new dynamic and allowing for a change in political power,” SANA said.

The current constitution stipulates that the Baath party, in power since 1963, is “the leader of state and society.” Political pluralism has been at the forefront of demands by pro-reform dissidents who since March 15 have been taking to the streets across Syria almost daily to call for political freedoms.

“The bill stipulates the essential objectives and principles governing the activities of parties, conditions for their establishment ... and rules relating to their financing, their rights and their obligations,” SANA said.

It prohibits parties founded on the basis “of religion, tribal affiliation, regional interests; professional organisations as well as parties which discriminate on the basis of race, sex or colour,” the report said.

It added that non-Syrian parties are also banned.

According to SANA, the draft law stipulates that “party organs should not comprise any military or paramilitary elements, whether public or secret” while the party principles, objectives and funding must be clearly established.

Prime Minister Adel Safar had early June ordered the creation of a committee tasked with drafting a law on political parties.

A few days earlier, the Syrian authorities had announced a series of measures aimed at ending the popular revolt against Assad’s autocratic regime.

These included the lifting of a state of emergency which had been in force for almost 50 years, and which authorised the arrest and interrogation of any individual while restricting gatherings and movement.

Assad later announced a general amnesty for political prisoners while saying talks were under way on new laws on the media and political pluralism.

On June 20 he called a national dialogue which he said could lead to a new constitution and even the end of his Baath party’s political domination.

Opposition groups said however the reforms did not go far enough and called for the introduction of genuine multiparty democracy.

The opposition also boycotted the July 10 “national dialogue” meeting in protest at the government’s continued deadly crackdown on the unprecedented anti-regime protests.

Human rights groups say at least 1,483 civilians are now confirmed dead in the government crackdown. The violence has also claimed the lives of 365 troops and security forces.

At least 12,000 people have been arrested and thousands have fled to neighbouring Turkey and Lebanon, rights groups say.