Alawites form political council, call for federal system
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Political figures, mainly Alawites, from Syria’s coastal region announced on Wednesday the establishment of the “Political Council for Central and Western Syria,” a new body claiming to represent the coastal governorates of Latakia and Tartus, as well as parts of Homs and Hama.
In an official statement read by journalist and founding member Kinan Waqaf, the council stressed that reliance on force has proven dangerous, urging instead the adoption of federalism as an alternative that distributes powers according to law, away from tyranny and oppression.
Waqaf said the council’s vision affirms commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 2254, including the formation of a transitional governing body and the exclusion of terrorist groups from power in Syria.
The statement added that the council views a federal, secular system as the most suitable model for Syria’s future, rejecting what it described as the “one-color government” imposed by the de facto authorities.
It further defined Central and Western Syria as a region founded on justice and adherence to international conventions and treaties.
The council’s founding statement also demanded the release of forcibly disappeared and abducted persons, the revocation of foreign naturalizations, referral of crimes committed in Syria to the International Criminal Court, and the creation of a special tribunal for Syria.