Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition – Syria
Department of Media and Communications
December 6, 2020
Despite persistent attempts by the Assad regime’s delegation to disrupt the work of the Constitutional Committee, the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) reaffirms its commitment to a political solution as the only way to put an end to the reign of tyranny and repression. The SOC also reaffirms its commitment to a political solution in accordance with the Geneva Communique of 2012, UN Security Council resolutions 2118 and 2254, and UN General Assembly Resolution 262/67 calling for the formation of a Transitional Governing Body (TGB) with full executive powers.
The SOC stresses that the current negotiating process is based on the four-baskets mechanism, which means that the Constitutional Committee is only one part of this mechanism and that there are three other baskets that must be worked in order to bring about a political transition. The SOC also underscores the need to address the issue of detainees and the forcibly disappeared persons, especially women and children, and to disclose the fate of the missing persons as an issue that must not be subject to negotiations. Addressing this purely humanitarian issue can express some sense of responsibility in front of all Syrians, and represent an important gesture towards reaching a solution that puts an end to the 10-year tragedy.
The Assad regime nonetheless insists on pursuing a policy of disruption as it refuses to abide by the agenda of the talks and insists on discussing issues that fall outside of what was agreed upon.
The Syrian people and their revolutionary forces represented by the SOC are fully aware of the goals of the Assad regime. They are also fully aware of the importance of refuting the regime’s allegations and lies. It is unacceptable to ignore the atrocities being committed by the Assad regime and its allied terrorist foreign militias.
The SOC is the party that is the keenest on demanding accountability for all crimes being committed in Syria, especially since 2011. We call for accountability for all those who hired, sponsored, trained and commanded terrorists, and those who are committing atrocities against the Syrian people and the peoples of the region.
The next meeting of the Constitutional Committee has been scheduled on January 25, 2021. Since the start of the Constitutional Committee’s meetings, the delegation of the Syrian Negotiations Commission (SNC) has showed complete willingness to positively engage in the talks. In contrast, the Assad regime’s delegation has been insisting on disrupting the talks. We reiterate calls on the international community to assume its responsibilities in this regard and ratchet up pressure to impose the agenda of the political solution according to a specific timetable as failure in this regard will risk disrupting the political process. It is also imperative to exert more pressure on the sponsors of the Assad regime to prevent it from disrupting the negotiation process or to exploit it to gain more time.
