President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), Salem Al-Meslet, stressed the importance of the reforms that the SOC has just announced, stressing that they came as a response to the demands of the Syrian people and in line with a purely Syrian national agenda.
Al-Meslet made these remarks at a press conference that the SOC held on Friday to talk about the political process and to clarify the reform measures that the SOC introduced to membership and bylaws.
The conference was also attended by Head of the Syrian Interim Government Abdurrahman Mustafa, Secretary-General Haitham Rahma, Secretary of the political committee Abdul Majeed Barakat, a number of members of the political committee, and coordinators of committees, departments and offices.
Al-Meslet made it clear that the reform process is not new, adding that since the beginning of this term, the SOC has sought the unity of the opposition and the pursuit of the reform process. For this purpose, the SOC set up a committee to study the bylaws and suggest the necessary amendments. Another committee was formed to evaluate the SOC’s members and components and their political and representative effectiveness.
Al-Meslet pointed out that the goal was to crystallize a new political vision that is based on the principles of the revolution and takes into account the developments and changes at the local, regional and international levels.
Moreover, Al-Meslet said that the amendments to the SOC’s bylaws were approved by the overwhelming majority of the General Assembly members in the emergency session which concluded on Thursday. The Assembly also approved the replacements for the components that have been frozen for years and the dismissal of members and components that are ineffective or that have lost their frame of reference.
He said that the reforms aim to strengthen the representation of the Syrian people; ensure that the SOC reflects the revolutionary movement; and boost political participation.
The SOC intends to tour the liberated areas next week in order to hold consultations on the SOC’s expansion and the renewal of its blood by co-opting representatives of active entities and blocs in the liberated areas, local councils, unions and organizations, in addition to strengthening the presence of the youth and women within the SOC’s ranks, he added.
Al-Meslet stressed the importance of the reforms in revitalizing the political process. “The political process has been reduced to futile molds that have not resulted in any progress so far at any level. These loose molds have allowed the regime to evade engaging seriously in the political process and obstruct every proposal that was made during the process.”
He also stressed that the next step will aim to reform the political process by negotiating all provisions of UN Resolution 2254, the most important of which is the formation of a transitional governing body with full powers, setting a timetable for each track, focusing on UN Resolution 2254 and its provisions, and thinking about activating them instead of putting forward contradictory proposals, such as the latest “step for step” proposal by the UN envoy, Geir Pedersen.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
