An anti-regime demonstration took over the Kurdish-majority Syrian city Al-Qamishli earlier this year. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Associated Press reported Tuesday the former PM urged the army "to follow the example of Egypt's and Tunisia's armies—take the side of the people," in his first public statement since leaving the post.

"The regime is on the verge of collapse morally and economically in addition do cracks in the military," Hijab said during a news conference from Amman.

He and his family fled to Jordan last week, staying for three days under protection of the Free Syrian Army.

Hijab said his decision to defect came from feeling "powerless to stop the injustice" during a struggle that began in March 2011. Twenty-thousand people have been killed since then, according to activists. 

See his press conference below.

Read the full story here, and check out more of Neon Tommy's Syria coverage here. 

Reach Executive Producer Catherine Green here; follow her here.