Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug. 6 / Trend A.Taghiyeva /
The removal of Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Farid Hijab and his defection to the opposition will not change the situation in the country, as the Assad regime intends to hold on to power to the very end, the head of the Syrian Human Rights Association, Nasser Al-Ghazzali, said.
"The removal of Hijab can cause moral damage to President Assad, but not more. Assad regime intends to hold on to power until the last," Al-Ghazzali said.
On the other hand, according to the expert, after such an event the Assad regime will strengthen the control over all senior officials, and the massacre in the country may intensify.
On Monday, August 6, Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Farid Hijab announced his defection to the opposition just two months after his appointment to this post. Former Prime Minister with his family members and another 10 families from his nearest milieu fled to Jordan today.
Deputy Prime Minister Omar Ghalawanji, has been appointed caretaker prime minister.
Earlier the ambassadors of Syria in Iraq, Cyprus, Belarus and the UAE and a number of senior military officials announced the defection to the opposition.
Al-Ghazzali said that after Kofi Annan's statement that his initiative to address the crisis in Syria failed and that he was no longer going to continue his mission, the resolution of the crisis in the country will depend on Russia and Iran, on the one hand, and U.S. and Saudi Arabia, on the other.
"The situation in Syria depends on the position of the major powers. Coalition of Iran and Russia and a coalition of U.S. and Saudi Arabia will be able to solve the problem in the country, if they come to an agreement among themselves," the expert said.
He also said he did not expect a quick resolution to the crisis, as countries that benefit from the civil war in Syria, will monitor the situation in the country from afar.
Anti-government protests have continued in Syria for about 17 months.
According to UN, the total number of victims of the conflict in Syria has exceeded 17,000 people. About 230,000 people became refugees. About three million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. The Syrian authorities say that they oppose the well-armed militants.