Syrian opposition reveals makeup of national council
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-09/15/c_131140986.htm
English.news.cn 2011-09-15 19:52:48
TURKEY-ISTANBUL-SYRIA
Basma Kadmani, a Paris-based Syrian opposition member speaks at a press conference held in Istanbul on Sept. 15, 2011. Members of the Syrian opposition managed to put aside their differences and agreed on the makeup of the National Council in Turkey's largest city Istanbul on Thursday. (Xinhua/Ma yan)
ISTANBUL, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Members of the Syrian opposition managed to put aside their differences and agreed on the makeup of the National Council in Turkey's largest city Istanbul on Thursday.
The council will broadly be based on the principle of representing different sections of the Syrian society, according to Dr. Halit Hoca, a member of the council.
For example, 30 percent of the council members may be from Islamic-leaning groups, 30 percent left-leaning groups and 40 percent from various ethnic groups present in Syria, he said, adding that they didn't want to be rigid about percentages.
Hoca said that the council is made up of 65 people who live outside Syria and 70 from inside at the moment, although this number will be open to expansion as new figures will join the council.
"Everyone who is committed to our basic principles is welcome to join the council," said Yasser Tabbara, an independent member of the council.
Tabbara told Xinhua that the basic principles of the council consist of toppling Bashar al-Assad's regime, commitment to peaceful nature of the revolution, opposition to any foreign intervention and maintaining the national unity of Syria.
He also said it is unlikely that the council will see eye-to-eye with the recently formed party named "the Current for Building up the Syrian State" in Damascus since the council would not work with anyone who negotiated with the Assad government.
The various positions in the National Council will be determined after an election process is completed in the next few weeks, said Tabbara.
Syrian dissidents first announced the formation of the council in Istanbul on Aug. 23.
"The council sees three stages in the near future consisting of changing the regime, post-regime transition and then the future political path," said Bassmah Ghodami, a Paris-based Syrian opposition member.
Ghodami said each stage is expected to last six months but the timeframe is flexible depending on events on the ground.
Another aim of the council is to create a political umbrella for Syria's rebels, according to Ghodami.
Imadettin Rashid, another member of the council, said they want a civil and modern government, which protects human rights, and new constitution that will guarantee equal rights of every Syrian citizen.
He also said the Syrian army's role will be protecting the country's borders and will not be politicized.
Anti-regime Syrians release council list
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=anti-regime-syrians--release-council-list-2011-09-15
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Selim Akan
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Syrian opposition members have unveiled a list of 140 dissidents for a "national council" that will aim to topple the present regime through peaceful means and set up a modern state while ensuring civil rights, according to members of the group.
"We are aiming to topple the [Bashar] al-Assad regime while protecting the institutions of the state," the council's spokeswoman, Basma Kadmani, said Thursday during a meeting in Istanbul.
There will be a three-phase transition period in replacing the regime, Kadmani said. "The first phase, which we are already experiencing, includes the collapse of the regime. The second phase will include the replacement of the old regime with the new one and last phase is the establishment of a transitional government."
The council will have 140 members, 40 percent of whom are based outside Syria. A list of 72 members was announced but the names of those inside Syria were mostly withheld to protect them from possible reprisals by Assad's security forces.
Kadmani said they were against foreign intervention to the ongoing crackdown in Syria and added that she expected defections among high-ranking soldiers in the next few months.
"The military will not intervene in politics in the new Syria and the regime will have a separation of powers, freedom of the press and respect for human rights," said İmad Eldin Rasid, a member of the council.
He also said countries including Russia, Canada, Japan and the Netherlands had declared their intentions to send diplomats as observers to the Istanbul meeting; only Canada and Japan's representatives were present at the event, however.
On the ground, as Syria marked six months since anti-regime protests began, security forces shot dead eight people, including a child, in a huge sweep Wednesday against anti-regime protesters in the country's northwest.
Armed with heavy machine guns, the forces cut off roads leading to the Jabal al-Zawiya villages of Baliun, Marayan, Ihsem, Al-Rami and Ibleen, setting up checkpoints and arresting several people, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Four people were killed and dozens more wounded in the operation, it said, adding that 100 people were arrested, including the family of Riad al-Assad, a soldier who defected.
No comments:
Post a Comment