Syrian Regime Cancels Opposition Conference in Damascus

Arab World

March 28th, 7:06am

Damascus - Asharq Al-Awsat

Traffic in Damascus (AFP)

The Syrian regime canceled the founding conference of the opposition National Democratic Front after security services stormed into the venue, banning anyone from entering. Preparatory committee sources said that security agents contacted the Secretary-General of the Arab Democratic Socialist Union Party, Ahmed al-Asrawi, on Friday and informed him that the founding conference is canceled, unless they obtained the necessary green light from the competent authorities, after submitting a request to the Minister of Interior. The General Coordinator of the National Coordination Committee, Hassan Abdulazim, announced the conference was postponed because the authorities also sent the state security agents and police forces to the site and banned the media from covering the developments. The media office of the conference’s preparatory committee announced that the Syrian regime canceled the founding conference, which was set to be held on Saturday morning in Damascus. In its statement, the committee asserted it will continue to hold meetings to take the appropriate decision regarding the formation of the National Democratic Front. The committee also considered the regime’s ban of its peaceful civil action a "repressive criminal act" in violation of human rights and international law. It held the regime, the states supporting it, and influential parties responsible for the security and safety of the comrades and colleagues, calling for “diplomatic, international, and UN intervention” to ensure their security. The statement explained that security agents contacted the participants on Friday night, and warned them that the security authorities will stop the conference from taking place under the pretext that it does not have a license from the so-called “party affairs committee.” The preparatory committee also called on all Syrians to boycott the presidential elections in June, describing them as illegal. Earlier, Abdulazim called for boycotting the presidential election, scheduled for the summer, saying it was “illegal” and a “farce.” Asharq Al-Awsat published a draft statement of the conference, which called for the “restructuring of the security agencies and building of a national army” and the “withdrawal of all non-Syrian armies and militias”. The document presented a set of proposals including a radical regime change and removal of all foreign forces and militias from Syria. It also called for a political solution based on the international legitimacy - Geneva 1 and UN Resolution 2254 - to form a transitional governing body with full executive powers that allows for the establishment of a new constitution and holds fair elections under UN supervision, which results in a civil state. The National Coordination body that called for the conference, includes the National Democratic Rally, most notably the Democratic Arab Socialist Union. It had announced, through foreign media, its intention to hold a founding conference, the first of its kind in Damascus in nine years, to launch a new political alliance called the National Democratic Front.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2886151/syrian-regime-cancels-opposition-conference-damascus