Assad says departure 'not under discussion' — Interfax

MOSCOW — A defiant Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Sunday he had no plans to stand down, stressing that only the Syrian people had the right to determine the country's future.

"If we wanted to surrender we would have surrendered from the start," Assad told Russian parliament members during a meeting in Damascus.

"This issue is not under discussion," he said when asked to comment on Western and opposition calls for him to stand down and take part in elections. "Only the Syrian people can decide who should take part in elections," he said in remarks translated into Russian.