The General Assembly of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) held an emergency meeting from August 28 to 30, 2015 to discuss the plan proposed by U.N. special envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura to the U.N. Security Council (UNSC). After a comprehensive discussion of the plan, the Assembly reached the following decisions:
“The SNC reaffirms its adherence to a political solution that achieves the Syrian people’s aspirations to freedom and dignity and ensures a tangible political transition based on a specific timetable in accordance with the Geneva I Final Communiqué and other relevant UNSC resolutions.
Such political solution should lead to the transfer of executive, legislative, and judicial powers of the Assad regime to a transitional governing body and lay the foundation of a democratic and pluralistic system of rule. This entails excluding Assad and his clique from the transitional phase and the future of Syria.
Not only does the proposed plan ignore the Assad regime’s clear and repeated breaches of the UNSC resolutions 2209 and 2139, but it also failed to put in place mechanisms to stop the bloodshed in Syria or to alleviate the Syrian people’s sufferings caused by both the Assad regime and the sectarian militiamen who engage in terrorist activities.
The plan also ignores the Assad regime’s deliberate obstruction of all steps to build confidence for the issue of humanitarian aid, creating an environment that is not conducive to constructive political negotiations. The proposed plan also applies selective standards that weaken the opposition’s representation of the Syrian people, while granting the Assad regime freedom to choose their representatives without any restrictions.
The SNC’s political committee will continue to convey its concerns and inquiries regarding the proposed plan to the UNSC, and the U.N. special envoy and his team. The General Assembly of the SNC will convene again in the event of important developments.
In response to the increasing constraints, violations, and difficulties that the Syrian refugees suffer from, the General Assembly has set up a committee to communicate with the countries concerned about the refugee issue. The committee has dispatched official delegations to European countries and contacted EU foreign ministries to discuss the issue and find ways to provide them with temporary safe shelters.”
This story was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
