Ghalioun Says Ready to Hand over SNC Leadership

Syrian opposition leader Burhan Ghalioun on Sunday said he stood ready to hand over the chairmanship of the Syrian National Council (SNC) to others to broaden its appeal.

The SNC is supposed to appoint a new chairman every three months, but Ghalioun has remained leader since the council was set up in October 2011 because of lack of agreement over a successor.

Ghalioun was last re-appointed chairman on February 15.

"I might not be confirmed (again) to the SNC chairmanship. As far as I'm concerned a new leader could be selected so that everyone can be given a chance to serve the opposition," he told Italy's ANSA news agency on a trip to Rome.

The SNC has been plagued by internal disputes and criticized by other opposition groups as being too closely associated to the Islamist Moslem Brotherhood.