As part of an initiative to study the transition stage in Syria, the Syrian Center for Political and Strategic Studies has established a Syrian House of Experts.
The House consists of some 3000 figures including Syrian experts, human rights activists, academics, judges, lawyers, political opposition figures, former government officials, military officers, in addition to local revolutionary councils, armed opposition groups and the Free Syrian Army.
After a series of meetings, the group has produced a final report on the unified vision of the transition period in Syria, to provide practical recommendations on the political, social, economic, military and security future of Syria.
The final report, titled “Democratic Change in Syria” will be tabled in Istanbul on 14 August.
At over 250 pages, the report suggests final recommendations for six working groups on the subjects of: Constitutional Reform and Sovereignty Law, Political Systems, Party and Election Reform, the Security Forces and the Army, Economic Reform and Reconstruction, Transitional Justice and National Reconciliation in the post-conflict phase in Syria.
The document was prepared after a year of long and detailed discussions, to present a common political ground for the Syrian opposition.
The recommendations will remain relevant regardless of how conflict will be solved in Syria.
Some of the recommendations are as follows:
– Future Syria will be based on a parliamentary democracy and will guarantee the balance among the three state institutions.
– The constitution of 1950 will be the basis of Syria’s modern constitution, but will be edited and modified by the Constituent Assembly, which will consist of 250 elected members. The new constitution will be approved via a national referendum. Elections to the constituent assembly will follow proportional representation, according to the various constituencies; 20-30 nominees will vie for 12 seats for each constituency. Proportional representation will guarantee a multi-party system and guarantee elections based on a strong democratic system.
– Separation between judiciary and executive powers will be guaranteed. National reconciliation will be achieved through a program of long term transitional justice which will in turn guarantee justice for all victims in Syria.
– Security forces will be restructured and corrupt members will be excluded. All armed groups will give up their weapons, and the groups will be merged with Syrian society.
– Syria will gradually substitute the state controlled economic model with a market driven economy.
President of the Syrian National Coalition, Ahmad Jarba, and heads of the working groups will discuss the transitional plans at the Istanbul launch.
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