The de facto Syrian leader has reiterated his pledge to make a democratic political transition as consultations have been held over the country’s future.
On Tuesday, Ahmed al-Sharaah took part in a nationwide dialogue aimed at leading his fellow citizens to the political transition of the civil war and the country’s political transition after the collapse of former President Bashar al-Assad. He welcomed participants and urged his fellow people to pledge to establish an ongoing justice institution. .
He also said the state would retain its arms monopoly. He said this is an important issue in the country that many armed groups have spent in battle in recent years.
The meeting in the country’s capital, Damascus, was billed by Al Shala and his ruling, Hayat Tahri Al Sham (HTS), as a major milestone in democratic and comprehensive transition and reconstruction of the state. However, there are concerns that the process is in a hurry.
“I urge all Syrians to unite and hold hands to heal their wounds, heal their wounds, and wash away their pain,” Sharaah said in his opening speech. , during which he announced the formation of the Interim Justice Committee.
“For the past two months we have been working to pursue those who committed crimes against Syrians,” added Alshara.
“Unification of arms and their monopoly by the state are not luxury, but duties and duties,” he continued.
Alshara previously said that the troops that lead Kurdish-led troops that had fought against Al Assad’s regime for years should be integrated into the national army.
Planning for the meeting was in flux until the very end, and Sunday’s sudden announcement came as a surprise to many observers who expected another month to set up.
Some confusion and criticism was directed at organizers as the organising committee was still traveling through Syria to meet community leaders.
Opposition politician George Sabra posted to X that he received an invitation to attend Damascus on February 23rd. However, he had to decline as he lived in exile in France and was unable to reach Syria in time.
According to local media, around 600 people are present in the consultation and will be taking part in a packed agenda for a day of working sessions.
Participants will hold practical sessions on transition justice, the structure of the new constitution, institutional reform and architecture, individual liberties, the role of civil society, and the country’s economy.
The conference’s recommendations are not binding, but the results are closely monitored as the international community places importance on decisions on whether to lift sanctions imposed on Syria during al-Assad’s control.
Al Jazeera’s results from Damascus does not expect many Syrians to make big decisions from the meeting, but many still say it is a historic event in the country. He said.
“For the first time since the beginning of the civil war in 2007, how will Syrians from different lives from different ideological and political backgrounds, and Syrians from different professions come together to do it. “Because they say they are discussing national dialogue about it. We will rebuild their country and how we can build the future for Syrians and Syrians,” he said.
Skepticism
Short notices and daily schedules helped to promote skepticism in some quarters.
Many Syrian minority communities, including members of Kurdish, Christian, Druze and Assad’s Alawi denomination, are concerned about their future and are yet to be convinced by the promises of the new rulers of inclusive governance .
HTS previously had a partnership with al-Qaeda, but it broke the bond and Al-Sharah coexisted since.
Parties to Syria’s autonomous Kurdish regime have condemned what is called “token” expressions of minority groups.
In a joint statement, 35 political parties said: “Conferences with token representations are meaningless, worthless and do not contribute to finding a real solution to the ongoing crisis.”
Dahlia Dalati, a civil servant who was evacuated during the country’s nearly 14 years of civil war, does not expect a “consequence,” and three months after the collapse of al-Assad, the economy and security situation remained tenuous. He said there was.
One of the invitees, Orthodox Archbishop Elia Tome, said it was “too early to judge” whether the meeting was a meaningful opportunity for citizen input in new orders.
However, Hama judge Iman Shahod, who was participating, said she considers the meeting “a real victory day, because you will be the Syrians in front of you. Because there are denominations and elements, and you can see women and men.
Labib Nahhas, a Syrian political analyst and director of the Syrian Citizens’ Dignity Association, said that public dialogue is being hampered by foreign forces that rely on a swift and perfect political transition. I’ve said that.
“National dialogue was a much longer and should have been a much more comprehensive process, but as the international community is waiting to see what kind of transitional governments will come out. Next month, it didn’t give the Syrians enough space and time to do it,” he told Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar.
He said it was “very unfair” to link the lifting of sanctions imposed during the al-Assad regime to the formation of a “complete government.”
“This is a country that emerges from 60 years of dictatorship and 14 years of devastating war. It is very unfair to punish the entire country because the first attempt failed to produce a perfect government.” he said.
“If the international community is serious about having a stable and secure Syria again, lifting sanctions is fundamental.”
