Syria set for government reshuffle

Damascus - Syria's government resigned yesterday in a long-awaited move analysts regard as a sign that President Bashar al-Assad…

Damascus - Syria's government resigned yesterday in a long-awaited move analysts regard as a sign that President Bashar al-Assad will try to push through reform of the country's command economy by forming a new cabinet.

The official SANA news agency said Mr Assad had accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Mustafa Mero's government and asked him to form a new cabinet, but gave no details about its shape. The present government will stay on as a caretaker until the new one is formed, it said. Analysts and diplomats believe changes will come in the economic portfolios.