By Nayla Razzouk and Caroline Alexander, Bloomberg News, March 24, 2011

Syria’s government considers the demands of protesters “legitimate” and may lift an emergency law under which most constitutional rights have been suspended since 1963, a presidential adviser said after reports that demonstrators were killed in the southern city of Daraa.

The government also will increase judiciary authority and prepare a political parties law, Buthaina Shaaban, President Bashar Al-Assad’s political and media adviser, said in a televised briefing. The decisions will be implemented today, with more measures to come next week, she said.

“This does not refute the fact that there were some mistakes or some actions that were not satisfactory,” Shaaban said. She said Assad didn’t give orders to use bullets against his people. “The demands of the people of Daraa and the rest of the Syrian people across all provinces are legitimate,” she said...

Also see:

Protests prompt Syria to pledge reforms
Al Jazeera, 24 Mar 2011 20:43 GMT
Government to consider ending emergency rule and licensing political parties in wake of deadly protests.

and:

Syrian people outraged over government shootings in Daraa
By Katherine Marsh in Damascus, Guardian.co.uk, March 24, 2011
Human rights groups say that more than 100 people may have been killed when troops opened fire on a mosque.