At least 31 Syrian civilians and soldiers were killed in widespread clashes Sunday, as voters cast ballots for a new constitution derided by the opposition and many Western powers.
The new text would create a multi-party system in Syria, which has been governed solely by the Baath Party since a 1963 coup, but leaves huge powers in the hands of President Bashar al-Assad.
The opposition says the proposed changes are cosmetic and that only Assad’s ouster will suffice after his brutal military crackdown on an 11-month anti-government uprising. The two main umbrella opposition groups – the Syrian National Council and the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change in Syria – called for a boycott of the vote.
As polling proceeded Sunday, activist groups said continued military bombardment in the protest hub of Homs left nine civilians dead, while rebel fighters killed four soldiers in the city. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said eight civilians and 10 security force personnel were killed in violence elsewhere in Syria.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle called Syria’s referendum a “farce,” while U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Syrians in business and the military who still support Assad to turn against him.
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