Syrian opposition figure says he'll lead government in exile

A Syrian coalition of “independent revolutionaries” has announced that Haytham al-Maleh, 81, a lawyer and human rights activist, has been tasked with forming a government in exile based in Cairo.

According to the report, this transitional government will lead Syria from chaos to democracy.

Haytham al-Maleh told reporters during a press conference in Cairo that the decision to form a government was taken in fear of a "vacuum" in case of the downfall of Assad regime. "We do not want to find ourselves in a situation of political and administrative vacuum."

On his side, Syrian National Council president Abdel Basset Sayda told AFP that the formation of a government in exile was a hasty decision, and that the SNC wished it had not happened.

"The Syrian opposition needs to unite now and build a real transitional government that’s a credible alternative to Assad," Sayda added.

Meanwhile, the White House said in a statement that President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by telephone Monday to coordinate efforts to accelerate a political transition in Syria.

This "would include the departure of Bashar al-Assad and be responsive to the legitimate demands of the Syrian people," the statement said.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said this week the uprising against Assad was closer than ever to victory and warned Turkey will respond firmly to any hostility from Syria.

Turkey has called for Assad to quit after he failed to heed calls for reform and the country has harbored Syrian rebels and tens of thousands of refugees along its border with Syria.

Furthermore, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said that the U.S. Treasury Department has issued new licenses for supplying the Syrian opposition, including the Syrian Free Army, with non-lethal equipment and medicines.

Supplies included communications gear, medicines and other first-necessity items, according to the report.

Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/07/31/229596.html