Members of Syrian National Coalition exchange accusations amid withdrawals
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian National Coalition (SNC) is witnessing the withdrawal of political blocs and movements on the back of the termination of 14 of its members, according to a decision has been issued by the head of the SNC, Salem al-Meslet, in early April.
On Sunday, the Free National Assembly, political body affiliated with the SNC, announced its withdrawal from the SNC.
Observers believe that the Syrian opposition with all its components has become weak, topped by the coalition, which is run by a few personalities while the rest are just numbers.
Demands for reforms within the SNA institutions have long faced obstacles that oppositionists attributed to the domination of some personalities on the political and financial decision-making positions.
Coalition is irreparable
Khaled Shehab al-Din, head of the Free National Assembly, said, “The coalition has become a foregone conclusion, and it will not undertake any reforms that serve the Syrian cause.”
Shehab al-Din words came during a previous statement to North Press, after the assembly announced its withdrawal from the SNC against the backdrop of the dismissal of 14 of SNC members.
He added that the SNC is beyond reform, and has no willingness for any reform and it will continue to make concessions.
He pointed out that large blocs within SNC, along with other influential people topped by Badr Jamous, Hadi al-Bahra, Anas al-Abdah, Nazir al-Hakim, Ahmed Ramadan and Abdullahad Stifou, in addition to Nasr al-Hariri continued to abuse the dissidents.
The aim after this was to fight the dissidents, exclude them from professional and political work, and considering them traitors and agents.
“We weren’t silent before, but after their latest behavior, (referring to the coalition leader’s decision to dismiss the assembly representative) it was necessary to take a final decision to withdraw.”
He pointed out that in 2017, Riyad Seif, the head of the SNA at the time, formed a committee to reform the coalition and made a stride in financial and administrative audits that reached a conclusion that the coalition would have collapsed if it appeared to the public, especially with the previously mentioned names.
Shehab al-Din said that Riyad Seif was pressured, and he dissolved the committee and submitted his resignation after that.
Calls for forming commission of inquiry
Few days after the announcement of brigadier Mehiyadin al-Harmoush that some members of the SNC are connected with the Syrian government, and was ready to mention the names, the sacked members of the SNC released a statement calling on the SNC to set up an independent committee to start investigations.
Al-Harmoush’s statement came during the 61st session of the General Board on March 30/31, against the backdrop of statements by Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim about the existence of a breakthrough in the opposition ranks in favor of the Syrian government.
When al-Harmoush spoke up that some members of the opposition SNC are connected with the Syrian government, he was instantly silenced by the SNC’s president who ordered him not to mention the names, said Hatim al-Thaher, member of the Free National Assembly.
In regard to the investigation committee, al-Thaher, who is also a representative of the assembly and among the sacked members, said it was a demand for the whole Syrians to uncover and hold accountable the figures who had ties with the Syrian government.
He noted that al-Harmoush’s statement on social media was “true”. “I was there when he spoke up that there are some members of the SNC who have connections with the Syrian government. al-Harmoush said he had the proofs.”
Al-Thaher stressed, “everyone knows the SNC’s president behavior was to make the issue less important, and everybody (members of the SNC in the session) started to doubt himself even the SNC’s president himself.”
According to the member of the Free National Assembly, only seven or ten persons within the SNC are in power, “they are the decision makers and are to be blamed for the destruction of this institution (referring to the SNC) while the rest of the members are foregone conclusion.”
This is the first time when a formation within the SNC has spoken publicly and to the media and by name about personalities within SNC that take decisions separately.