Syrian opposition figure calls for dismissal of Constitutional Committee small body
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Adwar Hashweh, a member of the expanded Constitutional Committee, called on Thursday for a meeting to dismiss the committee’s small body.
Despite the continuing meetings of the small body in Geneva for the penultimate day of the round, no significant progress was reported.
Hashweh, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Arab Socialist Movement, told North Press that he demanded a meeting of the expanded committee be held to block confidence from the small body for its failure to make progress.
He called for leaving the matter to the United Nations and states, and said that this is better than the humiliating situation and silence in negotiations.
He pointed out that “this position does not mean withdrawal, nor does it indicate weakness. Rather, it’s the opposite.”
He said that everything that happened during the meeting regarding the constitution was a kind of deaf dialogue between two parties exchanging letters.
The Syrian government delegation in the Constitutional Committee focused on what he called national constants, while the opposition delegation’s speeches focused on constitutional principles, according to Hashweh.
The regime does not submit or desire any constitutional research, because its constants are still “Assad, his constitution, and his army,” Hashweh added.
He pointed out that the mistakes of the opposition delegation have fulfilled the regime’s desire to continue the dissent outside the constitution and to present offers and suggestions under the pretext of positivity.
On the other hand, Hashweh said, “I personally did not demand withdrawal from the committee’s meetings, but rather the taking of a firm and decisive political position that says that we are ready for discussion of the constitution, and no speeches and interventions are permitted until the regime accepts serious engagement in the constitutional process.”
He suggested that the discussion begins in the controversial issues, which number less than ten, because the rest of the articles of the constitution are not disputed and are repeated in all constitutions.
He stressed that the mistake started with the United Nations, which violated the sequence contained in Resolution 2254, allowing the regime, the Russians, and Iran to call for an alternative path to Geneva in Astana.