Syrian Ex-PM's defection to opposition

Syria's ex-Prime Minister Riad Hijab announced his defection from President Bashar al-Assad's regime to the opposition on August 6 by his spokesman on Al Jazeera television.

Hijab's defection, no more than two months after he formed his cabinet on June 23, is regarded by many experts as a blow to the Syrian government.

Hijab, a former agriculture minister, was appointed prime minister by President al-Assad in June following the nation's parliamentary elections in May. Authorities had referred to the elections as a step towards political reform, yet their opponents dismissed them as a sham.