Ghayath Naisse: Radical change in ruling authority is the key to saving Syria

Naisse explained that the collapse of the Baath regime and the takeover of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Damascus at the end of last year did not represent a real liberation of the Syrian people from dictatorship. Rather, it was the outcome of an international and regional understanding “a handover of power,” as he described it.

He pointed out that what distinguishes HTS from other sectarian jihadist factions which all share the same ideological and doctrinal foundations is the extreme pragmatism of its leadership, which he described as “opportunism and adaptability to serve its own interests.”

According to Naisse, the group is now making political, national, and economic concessions to regional and international powers active in the Syrian file in exchange for retaining control, while at the same time refusing to make any concessions to the Syrian people themselves.

He added that this fundamental contradiction lies at the heart of the crisis within the current ruling authority in Damascus, which, as he noted, originates from the counter-revolutionary forces that have shaped Syria’s power structure over the past fourteen years.

“The current authority relies on sectarian militias and on a public base though limited indoctrinated with exclusionary and brutal ideas toward those who differ ethnically or ideologically,” Naisse stated.

He argued that the nature of the ruling power itself is the main source of the crimes and massacres that have occurred and continue to occur, and that it remains the primary obstacle to achieving stability, security, and greater freedoms across Syria.

Naisse stressed that escaping this catastrophic situation requires a profound transformation in the nature of the ruling system in Damascus.

He asserted that a genuine transitional phase, paving the way toward a democratic and decentralized republic that reflects the interests and needs of all Syrians, necessitates a radical overhaul of the existing ruling authority.

To achieve this peacefully and without further bloodshed, Naisse believes that a realistic assessment of Syria’s current circumstances shows that a non-sectarian, inclusive democratic transition can only be guaranteed through the active participation of the Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria, alongside democratic political and social forces, in managing the transition process toward stability.

He warned that ignoring this path would leave Syria fragmented, insecure, and prone to ongoing civil wars. What is required now, he said, is an organized form of popular and political alignment around the Autonomous Administration linking the popular movement in Swedia with the growing mass struggles against what he described as the Thermidorian (counter-revolutionary) regime ruling in Damascus.

Naisse concluded by saying that this broad popular bloc represents the true force capable of building a better future that unites the country and achieves peace, freedom, justice, sovereignty, and social equality for all Syrians, in all their ethnic and religious diversity.

ANHA