Syria Opposition Rejects Charter, Urges Vote Boycott

A Syrian opposition group on Thursday rejected a newly proposed constitution, urging voters to boycott a referendum set for later this month and to step up efforts to oust President Bashar Assad.

"The Local Coordination Committees calls upon our people to reject and boycott the alleged referendum to confirm the lack of public support for this criminal regime," the opposition group said in a statement.

It added that Assad's regime had lost its constitutional and social legitimacy and there was no alternative but to topple it.

"The draft constitution is no more than a political tool or a policy paper written by the barbaric regime," the statement said.

"We see no alternative but to topple the regime along with its symbols, representatives and foundational ideology."

As for the charter itself, the LCC said that, basically, it was a carbon copy of the previous one and still conferred on the president absolute powers.

"This draft constitution offers no substantive amendments," it said. "The draft is nothing more than an attempt by the regime to cast itself in a different light."

Assad, who is battling an 11-month revolt against his regime, on Wednesday called the referendum for February 26 after his government flatly rejected U.N. allegations of crimes against humanity.