The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) held a legal workshop via video conferencing on the parliamentary elections the Assad regime has recently held in the areas under its control and their absolute lack of legitimacy. The workshop brought together SOC President Nasr al-Hariri, members of the legal and the political committees, and legal experts and judges.
Participants in the meeting highlighted the Assad regime’s practices and violations of the legal system, including the holding of parliamentary elections in violation of the legal procedures laid out in UN resolution on the formation of the Constitutional Committee. Having agreed to the resolution, the Assad regime is untitled to hold any elections except after a new constitution for the country has been drawn up and that any elections must take place under the UN supervision.
Participants discussed the general atmosphere in which these elections were held, especially in the absence of half of the Syrian people who were forcibly displaced by the Assad regime. They also discussed the consequences of these practices on the rights of the displaced people as well as on the geopolitical, economic, and sectarian future of the region, especially the consolidation of these policies through Russian-Iranian influence.
Moreover, they reviewed the legislations being issued by the Assad regime’s so-called People’s Assembly which mainly aims to serve its interests, paper over cover its crimes of violating the rights of the displaced people to property; and prevent the return of millions of displaced people to their homes.
Participants discussed the Assad regime’s failure to administer the country and provide basic services to the population, of which 83 percent live below the poverty line. They recommended conducting studies and surveys on the number of citizens who receive services in all areas across Syria. These studies will be presented to the foreign diplomatic missions so as to ensure they are formally adopted by the United Nations. (Source: SOC’s Media Department)
