A group of Syrian democratic activists have announced plans to establish a new civil-democratic political movement in Syria under the name the "National Appeal Movement in Syria."
In a statement issued Wednesday, the group released a preliminary list naming the founding members, including 72 activists so far.
The interim committee will update this list each week for a 60-day period ending Saturday 28 September, 2013.
The statement said that the establishment of the national political movement is in response to the “urgent national needs as the mechanism followed in the establishment requires building the movement from the bottom to the top."
The current list includes political activists from inside and outside Syria. Until now, most are from youth groups.
The founders are keen to highlight the nature of the national spirit of the movement, where efforts are focused on building the institutions of the pluralistic, democratic and national state, and on the adoption of the principles of citizenship, equality and justice.
The founding principles specify that founding members are independent and that all documents relating to the movement will be considered as drafts subject to the decision by the representative bodies.
After elected institutions are established, they will be responsible for assessing attitudes towards various issues, meaning none of founders in the establishment period can determine decisions in advance.
Among the founding members are lifelong dissidents including Habib Issa, doctor and activist Jalal Nofal, activist and writer Zeydoun Zoubi, broadcaster Tawfiq Hallaq and lawyer Majdoleen Hassan. They comprise various sects and come from all across Syria.
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