The political committee of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) held its regular meeting on Thursday to discuss the latest developments on the ground and in the political arena in Syria, as well as to evaluate the work of its various working groups, departments, and offices.
SOC President Hadi Al-Bahra provided a comprehensive overview of his recent visit to New York and Brussels, where he led a delegation to meet with foreign representatives and envoys. During these meetings, he addressed the reasons behind the deadlock in the political process, emphasizing the necessity of revitalizing it to achieve a political transition and the genuine implementation of UN Resolution 2254. Al-Bahra also highlighted the plight of Syrian refugees, particularly those facing crackdowns in Lebanon, and expressed concerns about the potential deportation of wanted individuals to the Assad regime.
SOC Vice President Abdul Majeed Barakat briefed the committee on his activities, press engagements, and visits. He shared insights from his participation in the third general conference of the Future Syria Assembly in the liberated areas.
Another SOC Vice President, Abdul Hakim Bashar, discussed a large public symposium he held in the Dara Shukran camp in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The event, attended by over 300 people from various segments, covered UN resolutions regarding the political process in Syria and criticized the Assad regime’s evasion of a political solution. Bashar also addressed the regime’s inability to protect Syria’s sovereignty and unity, its economic failures, and the lack of prospects for economic recovery. He detailed the SOC’s program in the liberated areas.
The committee reviewed a political analysis of the positions of countries participating in the eighth Brussels conference, derived from the statements of their representatives. The latest developments in northeastern Syria were also discussed, particularly the actions of separatist militias to re-divide regions and municipalities and their attempts to legitimize these divisions through so-called “elections.” The majority of the people in these regions, along with political parties and organizations, have rejected these measures.
Attendees stressed the paramount importance of preserving the unity of Syrian territories and the Syrian people, rejecting any actions that promote divisive or separatist projects. They emphasized that any social contract or constitution must be created with broad participation from all regions of Syria, involving all components and sects of the Syrian people, and should not be formulated based on regional or partisan interests or narrow sub-national agendas.
The meeting also addressed the Early Recovery Fund, highlighting the need for caution to prevent the regime from using the Fund to circumvent sanctions. The committee stressed the necessity of equitable distribution of projects funded by the Fund.
Lastly, the attendees discussed the humanitarian situation, noting the increasing basic needs of Syrians in the liberated areas amid a weak international response, multiple global crises, and ongoing inflation.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
