General conference in Suwayda to unify political efforts

Today, the city of Suwayda is hosting a public political dialogue conference, organized by the Political Committee of the General Assembly for Peaceful Civil Movement in Suwayda, at the city's cultural center, with the participation of political, social, and religious figures.

The conference, which is supported by local and expatriate activists and endorsed by the spiritual leader of the Druze community, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri, seeks, according to the preparatory committee, to “break the political deadlock” by presenting a unifying national vision that supports the country's stability, guarantees rights and freedoms, and establishes a comprehensive national partnership.

Emphasis on national unity and decentralization

In a special statement to ANHA agency, lawyer and member of the commission's political committee Saleh Alamuddin said that the conference had invited all stakeholders, including religious authorities and local leaders, stressing that "the main goal is to emphasize the unity of the Syrian people and territory within a decentralized or federal system and to reject the de facto authority."

Al-Alam Din added that among the most prominent demands put forward were "the drafting of a new democratic civil constitution and the holding of fair presidential elections under international supervision," noting that the current authority "has marginalized competent individuals and replaced them with people who do not have scientific or national qualifications, some of whom are accused of terrorism," as he put it.

Al-Alam Din also called for the opening of an international crossing with Jordan to break Suwayda's economic isolation, and discussed the importance of activating the judicial police and developing the security and economic systems.

Call for a new constitutional declaration

In turn, lawyer and member of the commission's administrative office, Mufid Bouamar, said that the commission was established on July 8, 2024, and resulted in the formation of political, legal, organizational, media, and economic committees. He noted that the conference is the culmination of a series of regular meetings seeking to develop political action against what he described as "the former dictatorial regime."

Bouamar added that among the conference's objectives is to demand "a democratic national constitutional declaration that protects human rights and establishes the principle of citizenship," rejecting the current constitutional declaration, which he described as '"ot reflecting the aspirations of the Syrian people."

Popular character and revolutionary vision

For his part, political activist and head of the General Organizing Committee of the Popular Uprising in Suwayda, Bashar Tarbi, said that the conference has a "popular character" and aims to present the body as a revolutionary and civil representative on the Syrian scene. He explained that the body "was formed as a result of the accumulation of peaceful movements in Jabal al-Arab" and works to organize the revolutionary situation through specialized committees.

Tarbi emphasized that the body believes in a decentralized system of government that respects the rights of all components and rejects any separatist tendencies, considering that "decentralization is not the opposite of national unity, but rather a modern and advanced method of governance."

He also pointed out that the committee respects political pluralism and seeks to overcome ideological differences in a spirit of understanding and respect, stressing that the recent elections have produced new committees that will be announced soon.

Prospects and recommendations

The conference includes several topics for discussion, including political, economic, and security issues. The recommendations focus on forming a legal political committee to represent the province, demanding international supervision of elections, radical constitutional reforms, and service and living demands, most notably the opening of a border crossing with Jordan, according to the committee.

According to the organizers, the conference is a first step toward repositioning the peaceful civil movement in the Syrian scene as a national democratic force that calls for peaceful solutions that include everyone and rejects any monopoly of power or political exclusion.

ANHA