Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Syrian President to Address Nation VOA News March 30, 2011 Syria's official state news agency says President Bashar al-Assad will deliver a speech Wednesday to address recent developments in the country, after more than a week of anti-government protests. State media say the speech will cover "internal issues," but did not elaborate. Earlier reports have said Assad will announce an end to Syria's 50-year-old emergency law, which restricts opposition protests. Abolishing that law has been a key demand of protesters. The speech comes a day after Assad accepted his Cabinet's resignation. The government of Prime Minister Mohammed Naji al-Otari stepped down on Tuesday, and a new Cabinet is likely to be unveiled soon. Tens of thousands of pro-government demonstrators turned out across Syria Tuesday to voice support for Assad. Syrian security officials have cracked down on recent anti-government demonstrations, firing tear gas and live ammunition to disperse protesters. The group Human Rights Watch says at least 61 people have been killed since the unrest began. The opposition protests represent the most serious threat to Assad's 11-year-rule and the long-standing authority of his family. The southern city of Daraa has been the focal point of the protests. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.  Follow our Middle East reports on [1]Twitter and discuss them on our [2]Facebook page. References 1. http://twitter.com/VOAMidEast 2. http://www.facebook.com/pages/VOAMiddleEastVoices/124360240958667? v=wall .