Syria's ruling Baath Party has decided to loosen an emergency law in place since 1963. Ending a four-day congress focusing on reform on Thursday, the Baath party eased its grip on government, ordering a review of the electoral law, allowing additional political parties and reorganizing the local media.
In foreign affairs, the congress agreed to improve ties with the United States and to examine relations with neighbouring Iraq, Aljazeera reported.
Meanwhile, the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said Thursday he may dispatch a verification team back to Lebanon following reports that Syrian intelligence agants were not completely withdrawn from the country. "We are now receiving reports that there may be elements that are still there, and we are considering the possible return of the verification team to ascertain what is going on," Annan told reporters. Last month, a UN verification team to Lebanon reported that Syria had "fully" withdrawn troops from its neighbor.
