Press release “Original in Arabic”
Syrian Coalition
August 31, 2015
The Syrian Coalition’s General Assembly held an emergency meeting on August 28th-30th, 2015 to discuss the plan put forward by the UN envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, to the UN Security Council. After a comprehensive discussion of all aspects of the plan, the General Assembly decided the following:
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The Syrian Coalition reaffirms its adherence to a political solution that achieves the aspirations of the Syrian people in freedom and dignity and ensures bringing about a real political transition based on a specific timetable and in accordance with the Geneva I Communique and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
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A political solution should lead to the transfer of executive, legislative and judicial powers of the Assad regime to a transitional governing body and lay the foundation of a democratic and pluralistic system of rule. This entails excluding Assad and his clique from the transitional phase or the future of Syria.
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While the proposed plan ignores the Assad regime’s clear and repeated breaches of the UN Security Council resolutions 2209 and 2139, it didn’t set mechanisms to stop the bloodshed in Syria or to alleviate the Syrian people’s suffering caused by the Assad regime and the sectarian and terrorist militias.
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The plan also ignores the Assad regime’s deliberate obstruction of all steps to build confidence in the humanitarian and relief aid issue, lacking an environment conducive to resuming constructive political negotiations. Moreover, while the plan puts restrictions on the representation of the Syrian people and imposes selective coercive standards that will weaken the Syrian opposition’s representation, it grants the Assad regime freedom to choose their representatives without any restrictions.
The Syrian Coalition’s political committee will continue to contact the UN special envoy and his team and the UN Security Council about the reservations and queries on the plan. The General Assembly will convene again in the event of important developments.
In response to the increasing constraints, difficulties and violations against the Syrian refugees, the General Assembly set up a committee to communicate with the countries concerned with the issue of Syrian refugees. The committee has dispatched official delegations to European countries and contacted foreign ministries in the European Union to discuss the issue of Syrian refugees and find ways to provide them with temporary safe shelters.
