Zein al-Abideen Hussein
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – Politicians and heads of Syrian parties believe that a national dialogue including the Syrian government, the opposition, and the Autonomous Administration is the only way to avoid the consequences of the Caesar Act, while others thinks that a political solution in Syria is impossible.
Other politicians feel that the Caesar Act is set to starve Syrians, as the penalties could increase their suffering, especially with the approaching date of its implementation after mid-June.
Governmental Failure:
Mustafa Qala'ahgi, a member of Geneva Conference, told North Press that "Syrians from the government, Autonomous Administration, and opposition must accelerate the Syrian dialogue process and prioritize national interests over those of those who interfere with Syrian affairs, because ordinary citizens and state institutions are the only ones affected by the siege."
Qala'ahgi, who is the Secretary-General of the Syrian Change and Renaissance Party, explained that the mismanagement of successive governments had a negative impact on the collapse of the Syrian pound, so that the implementation of the Caesar Act came to be used by merchants and officials, under the role of a government that did not solve the economic dilemma.”
He claimed that Syria suffers the worst due to the Caesar Act because of the government’s failure in managing the crisis, and that what the country is witnessing is borne by everyone, "each according to his responsibility in the Syrian government and in the opposition."
National conference
Qala'ahgi said that the US will exclude the Autonomous Administration of North and East of Syria from the law sanctions "to increase sedition among Syrians and to deepen their disagreements," he said.
The only way to confront the Caesar Act is to "return to the political process, reformulate the social contract that preserves the justice of power and wealth distribution, and write a constitution that preserves all Syrians rights with their different affiliations through a national conference, as in the Syrian conference of 1919."
Real disaster
Head of Unionist Democratic Reform Party of Syria, Muhammed Suwan, told North Press that no one can stop the Caesar Act’s implementation.
He said that “despite the repressive state policy, the dollar's exchange rate has risen since the beginning of this year, the living situation is going to be a real tragedy, complete paralysis, and perhaps a famine that Syria has never seen before."
The End
Suwan explained that "Lebanon, the only outlet for Syria, is unsettled, as Russia and Iran are no longer supporting it financially and economically. Their policies changed and they are racing to reclaim what they paid by taking lands and investments," he said.
Suwan said that "the political solution reached an impossible point."
He believes that "the international powers will not accept the Syrian government demands to return everything under its control, while the Syrian government can continue if it takes control of everything, and this is a dilemma."
Suwan added, "The government did nothing but chase businessmen, merchants and economic activities in the internal areas, and even collected funds from the residents so that it could continue for an additional one or two months, which made the matter worse."
He said that the solution starts from politics in creating a new formation leading Syria and to be accepted by most regional and international parties.
He added, "It does not matter if this formation includes members of the current government or people from the opposition. After that, doors can be reopened, obstacles removed, and the economic role can restart. This is the only hope to get out of the quagmire in which we are drowned."
Starving
Writer and politician Dr. Khaled Kaakoush considered that the goal of the Caesar Act is "to starve the Syrian people, create a wide gap between the Syrian state and the people, and pressure the government in order to make political and sovereign concessions that serve the American project."
Kaakoush told North Press that the average citizen will be affected, especially in light of the low salaries and the declining purchasing power of the Syrian pound.
And he added that "the government is capable of controlling the rise in prices by supporting the national currency, increasing salaries, and improving the livelihood of the population."
Self-reliance
Kaakoush held the Syrian government responsible for repairing the agriculture and industry sectors’ damage and increasing production by self-reliance, controlling prices, expanding economic relations with neighboring and allied countries, and setting new cooperation agreements to overcome the consequences of the Caesar Act."
The Secretary-General of the Syrian National Youth Party, Maher Merhej, called for Russia, China, and Iran to transfer all their commercial dealings with the Syrian government and others to their local currency, and work to undermine the dollar and fight it globally.
He expressed his belief that the Caesar Act would have very bad effects on the Syrian people, worse than what they had had during the war years.
Merhej said that it is important at this stage to establish a real and not oppressive economic operations room and emergency laws.