The Syrian National Coalition’s Department of Foreign Relations, the Office of Strategic Consulting and Studies Office held a joint meeting to discuss the latest papers of the Constitutional Committee.
Participants in the meeting reviewed the results of the first meeting of the Constitutional Committee which concluded at the United Nations Office in Geneva on Friday.
They stressed the importance of the ideas put forward by the representatives of the Syrian Negotiations Commission at the end of the meeting of the Committee. They said that these ideas constitute an important addition to the 12 Living Intra-Syrian Essential Principles and the Syrian constitutional experiences on which the Committee is based in the drafting of the new constitution. These principles also represent a real starting point to discuss the provisions of the constitution in the next meeting due to be held on November 25.
The participants pointed out that the ideas put forward by the Assad regime delegation demanded the adoption the constitution of 2012 or making formal amendments to it. The regime’s delegation also reiterated support for the regime’s army and allied militias as well as demanded the lifting of economic sanctions on the regime’s senior officials.
Moreover, the participants said that the majority of ideas put forward allow members of the Committee to draw up constitutional items that safeguard rights and freedoms, ensure justice and equality, and ensure the separation of the three executive, legislative and judicial powers.
The coordinators and members of the Coalition’s departments commended the United Nations’ role as facilitator of the meetings of the Committee. They stressed the need to abide by the rules of procedure of the Committee and its timeframe, calling on the international community to ratchet up pressure on the Assad regime and its delegation to seriously and effectively engage in the work of the Committee.
The participants reiterated that the drafting of a new constitution for the country will not achieve a political solution in Syria. They called for discussing the rest of the baskets, especially the baskets of governance and elections which will allow the full implementation of relevant international resolutions on Syria, most importantly the Geneva Communique of 2012 and UN resolution 2254. (Source: Syrian National Coalition’s Media Department)
