Syrian Coalition announce to form high election commission arose Syrians’ anger
ISTANBUL (North Press) – In a statement published on Friday, the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces announced the formation of a “High Electoral Commission”, with the aim of enabling the Syrian opposition to compete in any elections.
“One of the tasks of this commission is to set plans and strategies, implement them, and to prepare for the participation in the upcoming political events,” the Coalition said in the statement.
“Among the tasks are the referendum on the draft constitution, raising awareness of participation in the national benefits, and cooperation and coordination with social, civil and political forces inside Syria, including those in government-held areas, in addition to the countries of asylum and immigration, through all available methods, or reaching them through social media,” the statement added.
The coalition indicated that the commission’s working mechanism is to “train professional staff and work teams in all governorates of the interior of Syria that can be reached, and in the main asylum countries.”
The mechanism also includes: “Holding lectures, seminars, and meetings with the Syrians in their whereabouts or through social media, designing advertisements, propagandas, and video, audio and written recordings and publishing them among all groups of the Syrian people.”
The mechanism supports entities that include opponents in the countries of asylum, so that these entities can support the work of the Coalition in the elections, and enable it to truly represent the Syrian people.
Demand to back off
Syrian opposition leaders demanded Nasr al-Hariri, president of the Syrian Coalition to “immediately” back off the decision, saying “it is an official recognition of the legitimacy of the Syrian regime.”
They indicated that forming an electoral commission is not within the power of the Coalition, but it is within the competence of the transitional governance body after its formation according to the declaration of Geneva and the UN Resolution 2254.
Syrian Revolution Activists issued a statement in which they showed their rejection of the Coalition’s decision, saying, “holding any elections before the fall of the Assad regime, is an abortion of the revolution.”
They described the decision as a “concession of the rights of the detainees, a denial of the blood of the martyrs, a violation of the suffering of the people, and an attempt by the Coalition to re-legitimize the regime and grant it a deed of innocence for the crimes committed.”
“Everyone knows that the Coalition’s ability is confined to areas outside the control of the Syrian regime and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and it will not even be able to prepare and submit electoral lists,” the statement added.
“The regime’s lists are ready and they will be recognized by the United Nations.”
A statement of clarification
After the wave of anger, the Coalition rushed to issue a statement of clarification, in which it said “There is no alternative to the transitional governance body with full powers, and that it is not possible to accept or participate in any elections with the existence of this regime.”
“The National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces is committed to implement its responsibilities towards the UN Security Council Resolution 2245 and the Geneva Declaration of 2012, and for the cadres of the Syrian revolution and its forces to be ready for the full missions related to the implementation of the political solution, and to establish a transitional governance body with full powers without Assad,” the statement said.
“The commission will work in cooperation with the Syrian revolutionary and opposition entities all over the world, in a way that contributes to exchanging support, leading to ensuring the election of real representatives of the Syrian people.”
“The commission will work to strengthen the principle of participation and cooperation with the social, civil and political forces inside and outside the country,” the statement added.
Despite the importance of forming the commission as a step on the road to a political solution, according to the statement, “But it will not be sufficient, unless an international position is taken to end the criminal project in Syria.”
The statement called for the necessity of “the political transition of governance in a manner that guarantees the freedom and dignity of citizens and works to hold criminals accountable on the one hand, and to care for and heal the wounds of the affected and the victims on the other hand.”
Reactions
One of the leaders of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) groups, who preferred not to be named, asked, “What happened so that the Coalition made such decision after its boycott of the conference for the return of Syrian refugees?”
“This decision has no meaning other than the intention of the one who issued it to participate in the presidential and parliamentary elections that the regime seeks to hold next year,” he told North Press.
“The decision is a clear recognition of the regime’s participation in the elections, which is considered a crime against the revolution.”
“Consequently, the Coalition, the opposition forces, and all of their components, will disappear with the fall of the regime, because it is a temporary state that ends with the overthrow of the regime and building a new state and a new system of governance, and forming bodies and commissions for elections with no justification,” he added.
Activists of the Syrian opposition pointed out that some figures in the Coalition that are responsible for issuing decisions, only represent themselves, “and they are agents who sold everything for the sake of their interests.”
Activists believed that “these figures are the biggest obstacle to liberation and the success of the revolution, because they will lose their jobs with the end of the regime and the success of the revolution.”
Last July, the Syrian Coalition announced electing Nasr al-Hariri as its new president to succeed the outgoing Anas al-Abdeh, who was elected president of the High Commission for Syrian Negotiations.
Politicians at the time, doubted the extent of Hariri’s ability to advance the Coalition, saying, “Neither Hariri nor anyone else can advance the Coalition because they are basically not decision-makers.”
“The Syrian government stressed that dialogue is the way to security and stability, and there is no place for armed opposition in Syria,” Salim al-Kharrat, a consultant in the National Reconciliations in Damascus, told North Press.