Sources inside the Syrian opposition have confirmed the National Coordination Commission is seeking to dominate the upcoming Cairo conference of Syrian opposition parties to be held in May, which could negatively affect the success of future meetings.
The Italian AKI news agency said: "A Syrian opposition body (the Coordination Commission) has disrupted the upcoming Cairo conference of the Syrian opposition because the Commission seeks a privileged position in order to dominate and direct the result of the conference".
According to the agency’s sources in Damascus, "the Coordination Commission wishes to become a majority and the decision maker at the conference on the one hand, and to marginalize the independent figures participating in it who are considered the basis of the conference. The Commission insists the conference should not result in a new political body, and refuses the formation of a follow-up committee (whatever its mission). In such case, the conference will become a consultative conference, like dozens of previous conferences, without resulting in any decision or comprehensive political document".
The sources noted that disagreements on conference participants and its expected results in the first meeting led to a delay in holding the conference last month.
The sources claim the Syrian National Coalition "refuses to attend the conference, although some of its members attended the first preliminary meeting and participated in the follow-up committee. Some Coalition members wish to attend the conference while others reject, taking a position similar to the Commission, which means to control the conference and its outcomes which should not result in any political committee that represents all parties".
The sources added: "Apart from these two blocs, the rest of the participants want the conference to issue a national charter and a roadmap, resulting in a political committee eligible to negotiate with the regime. They actually refuse the dominance of the Coalition or the Commission over the conference".
The follow-up committee for the opposition’s Cairo meeting, which was held earlier this year, held several meetings discussing a draft of the national charter and roadmap, in addition to a document to be offered at the Cairo conference and approved by various parties of the Syrian opposition.
Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
