On Tuesday, the second day of the sixth round of Syrian Constitutional Committee talks began in Geneva, to discuss “the armed forces, security, and intelligence agencies.”
The opposition delegation submitted a proposal on these bodies, which comprised four separate items.
According to the proposal discussed by the constitutional committee, the state is committed to building security and intelligence agencies in the interests of maintaining national security. These agencies should be subject to the rule of law, operate under the Constitution, and be committed to observing human rights.
The proposal added that the armed forces and security agencies should be national institutions that guarantee legal unity and sovereignty, free from ideology, partisanship, and factionalism.
The proposal also stressed that the armed forces should be a military force based on competence and discipline, which adheres to complete political neutrality and supports civilian authorities.
It noted that security agencies must maintain security and protect individuals and institutions within a framework of total political neutrality, that does not give way to partisanship or ideology.
Read Also: Sovereignty Prioritized on First Day of Constitutional Talks’ Sixth Session
On Monday, the first day of the Syrian Constitutional Committee’s sixth-round talks ended.
Hadi al-Bahra, co-chairman of the Syrian Constitutional Committee for the opposition, confirmed that the committee had held its first session in Geneva on Monday to discuss the constitution’s basic principles, as part of the process of drafting constitutional reform.
Bahra said that the open discussion phase had been completed and the basic process for which the Committee had been formed has been initiated.
Bahra noted that the committee had agreed on detailed mechanisms for discussion and procedure, while also holding the first session on drafting the constitution.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
