The Democratic Platform has clarified its position on the latest developments inside the Syrian National Coalition and the expansion process, which included members from the Platform, and its head, Michel Kilo.
In a statement, the Platform said its members which eventually joined the Coalition "did so as individuals and not as representatives of the Platform."
The Platform had previously welcomed the formation of the "National Coalition of Revolution and Opposition Forces", and, in a statement released on 15 November, had adopted an independent position, saying while it supported anything that serves the Syrian revolutions aims of freedom and dignity, it criticized anything that may distort these goals.
The statement said that the Coalition had so far "failed in mobilizing the efforts and resources of the Syrian people to change the balance of forces to their benefit," adding that, "it does not work to genuinely empower the national and democratic forces with just the stamp of the revolution; The Coalition never formed a platform that represents everybody and enables them to play their role in the national agenda as equals men and women".
The statement added that the Coalition has never clarified the relation between it and the Syrian National Council which, it said "also claims to represent the Syrian people and which has sponsors, a political agenda and affiliated armed forces, as well as international relations and political funding."
"The Coalition has never tried to establish its independence," it said.
"The latest meetings in Istanbul were an attempt to treat the flaws in its component representation, but instead showed the role of divisional and non-democratic forces, which fight democrats more than fighting the authority," it continued.
"It also showed the permeation of sectarianism among some members and the extent of foreign influence on the mechanisms of the Coalition."
The statement concluded that the Democratic Platform will maintain its independent position from the Coalition, an attitude that it says serves the revolution. The statement hinted that its members that joined the Coalition did so as individuals and thus they don’t represent the Platform.
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