UN General Assembly to vote today on Syria

UNITED NATIONS: The UN General Assembly will vote today on a new resolution calling on Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to end deadly attacks on civilians, diplomats said. The resolution made by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which was given to members on Tuesday, also expressed support for the plan of the Arab League to end the repression of 11 months in Syria and calls for the appointment of a special envoy UN.

The move comes after Russia and China vetoed a Security Council resolution of seconds on the crisis in Syria on 04 February, because he said he was "unbalanced." Russia and China are expected to oppose the new text, but no one can veto resolutions in the 193-nation General Assembly, despite having less weight. Diplomats said the move was almost certainly will happen.

The vote is scheduled for Thursday at 3:00 pm (2000 GMT).

"Let's see if this new text makes more or less than the 133 votes he got the first resolution," adopted on December 19, said one diplomat.

This measure, denounced human rights violations in Syria, where activists say more than 6,000 have died since the protests against Assad's government erupted in March.

"That will be the measure of success, but this time, the content is more of a political nature," the diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

An Egyptian diplomat said his country which chairs the Arab group in the Assembly wanted to see a vote on the resolution "as soon as possible." The draft resolution does not refer to an Arab League request for a joint peace mission to the United Nations, which is fulfilled in some Western capitals with caution.

The Security Council has not adopted any resolution on the situation in Syria. Russia and China also vetoed a bill in October.

The draft General Assembly is similar to that blocked in the Council.

The text "fully supports" the Arab League plan "to facilitate a Syrian political transition led by a plural, democratic, political," however mention Assad by name or the plan for him to hand over power.