Negotiation participants do not represent all Syrians: SDC to Lebanese patriarch
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Thursday, a delegation of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) delivered a message to Maronite Catholic Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi in Lebanon, stressing that all the participants in the negotiation process do not represent all Syrians.
The SDC’s delegation visited Bechara Boutros al-Rahi in Bkerki in the Jounieh region of Lebanon.
The delegation consisted of SDC Executive Board head Ilham Ahmed and representative of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) in Lebanon Abdulsalam Ahmed, in addition to lawyer Zena Kalab and secretary of the Newroz Association in Lebanon Jamal Hassen Amin.
The message that the SDC delivered to the Patriarch included a definition of the SDC in addition to some political issues regarding political solution in Syria, Ahmed said in an exclusive statement to North Press.
The SDC is a political coalition that includes a group of powers, political parties, and social and national figures from all Syrian regions and governorates. It was established late in 2015.
The delegation explained its point of view regarding the reasons that led to the faltering of the political process in Syria and the policy of exclusion against active and influential powers in the political scene and on the ground.
It pointed out that the delegations participating in the negotiation process do not represent all Syrians and “this impasse should be healed through restructuring of the negotiation delegations to reach a balanced process that produces practical results.”
“The issue of the regime’s insistence on its previous policies, its unwillingness to deal with the new reality in Syria, and betting on the military option – as some of the most important reasons that prevented any progress in the political solution – were addressed,” Ahmed said.
The delegation stressed that the SDC is working so hard to meet all Syrian national and democratic powers and present a clear road map for a democratic transition in line with UN Resolution 2254.
“We also talked about the challenges that face the AANES, the issue of refugees in Lebanon, Turkish control of Afrin, Sere Kaniye, Tel Abyad, and the rest of the Syrian cities,” according to Ahmed.
The delegation referred to the work it is doing through its national political project to save Syria from the tragedy it is going through. It also referred to its work to achieve the people’s aspirations for change and building a decentralized democratic system that saves Syria from division and fragmentation.”
The message also added that on the economic front, Turkey continues to cut off drinking water from Hasakah city and prevents the Euphrates River water to flow to Syria “to suffocate AANES-held areas economically and strike the agricultural season.”
The economic situation is witnessing increasing deterioration, especially with the continuation of the Western economic sanctions imposed on Syria and the regime’s refusal to make concessions and its refusal to dialogue with the Syrians, the message stated.