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Why Don't We Run Away From Geneva?

Despite criticism, the Coalition has made progress ahead of talks
Why Don't We Run Away From Geneva?

By Luai Safi of the National Coalition

 

The prejudice of enemies and rivals doesn’t surprise me, but what does surprise me is that our friends refuse to admit that the Coalition's efforts to strengthen the revolution's position through specific demands, and to improve the negotiation conditions before Geneva, were great developments.

 

Today I reviewed our vision of Geneva two months ago, and I found that we have achieved seven points out of nine, and we have also moved forward in regards to the issue of humanitarian corridors.

 

These are the points we have achieved thus far:
1: the negotiations will focus on the formation of a transitional body with full executive powers and with full control over the army and security forces.
2: the reference for the talks is the Geneva 1 declaration.
3: humanitarian aid corridors are now open in Moadamieh, in the Yarmouk refugee camp and in eastern Ghouta… and there are promises to increase the flow of aid and deliver it to more besieged areas.
4: the regime has shown its willingness to exchange detainees with its soldiers. But, surely we have not accepted exchanging civilian detainees with regime's soldiers.

 

We know that the regime will try to avoid the negotiations, but we will insist on applying resolution No 2118, which obliges the regime to follow the terms of Geneva, otherwise United Nations Chapter 7 will be applied. And even if the regime avoids the Geneva resolutions, we will be in a better position to increase pressure on the regime.

 

Just tell me, what is the benefit of running away from Geneva except giving the regime a cheap victory when showing it as the one who seeks a political solution while the opposition doesn’t?

 

Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer

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