“No peace in Syria without democratic system, constitution that respects rights of all components”

Syria is going through complex circumstances and faces numerous obstacles, amid the absence of clear paths for transitional justice and a constitution that guarantees the rights of all components and ensures their representation within state institutions, in addition to ongoing foreign interventions that hinder prospects for stability.

In this context, the director of the Syrian Center for Studies and Dialogue, Nasser Haj Mansour, considered the issue of peace in Syria to be highly complex, given the overlap of many influencing factors and forces.

He explained that achieving peace requires the availability of key foundations, including participation, building a democratic structure, ensuring freedoms, removing injustices, and holding past violations accountable, all of which contribute to building a new society capable of overcoming its fears and guaranteeing the rights of all its components. He noted that a fundamental building block of peace is creating an individual capable of accepting peace under necessary conditions that must be met.

He pointed out that one of the main obstacles to building peace in Syria is the absence of a democratic system and a genuine constitutional declaration or constitution, in addition to Syria becoming a hub for non-democratic regimes that do not believe in such principles and have no regard for human rights or other democratic foundations of life.

He added that without the ability to build a truly democratic and participatory state capable of addressing the legacy of the revolution and restoring rights, it is impossible to achieve lasting peace in Syria.

He viewed the steps taken during the transitional phase in Syria as bold in some respects, but insufficient to achieve transitional justice, describing accountability measures as weak, limited, and ineffective.

He further stated that practices on the ground indicate a lack of real accountability, and that the current authorities in the transitional government are not concerned with democracy, neither in practice nor even at the level of rhetoric.

He noted that ethnic and national diversity, along with political division, foreign interventions, and the absence of a constitution guaranteeing the rights of all components, have contributed to worsening conditions and the occurrence of violent incidents in several areas, reinforcing fear and weakening coexistence due to the absence of genuine accountability mechanisms.

Haj Mansour warned that the continuation of this reality without adopting fundamental solutions would lead to further deterioration of conditions within Syria.

He emphasized that dialogue plays a major and important role in ending the conflict in Syria, and that any issue requires dialogue to develop solutions provided that it is constructive and that the parties involved agree to implement its outcomes in practice. He noted that Syria lacks this kind of dialogue.

He pointed out that the many conferences that have defined concepts of justice, peace, and participation have not translated into practical reality, nor have they received effective responses at the regional or Syrian level.

He added that Syria’s political structure hardly recognizes the concepts of peace, participation, and democracy, considering that raising them does not go beyond slogans. In reality, detainees still exist, restrictions on personal freedoms remain, and certain patterns and behaviors are imposed on society despite its diversity.

Haj Mansour stressed that the absence of respect for pluralism and participation, and the failure to translate them into practical mechanisms prevents the achievement of lasting peace and stability in Syria.

He highlighted the importance of a constitution as a social contract that regulates relationships within society and defines the nature of the relationship between the state and citizens, including the rights and obligations of both parties.

He also expressed surprise at the reliance on what he described as “tribal mobilization” and hate speech, considering their use by the interim government as an attempt to impose control and silence opposing voices, despite contradicting the requirements of the current phase.

He described hate speech as one of the major forces that devour opportunities for peace, coexistence, and participation in Syria, as it erodes the fabric of Syrian society with the expansion of social media.

He also noted that foreign interventions in Syria affect peacebuilding in the region, as external actors may abandon even the largest peace and democracy projects in pursuit of their interests.

The director of the Syrian Center for Studies and Dialogue, Nasser Haj Mansour, emphasized the importance of Syrians relying on one another to build a stable Syria and the necessity of internal consensus to achieve peace.

He concluded by saying that the search for peace in Syria begins with Syrians themselves agreeing on its principles, making a collective decision to live together, and adopting a reconciliatory discourse based on participatory foundations to build a stable society.

ANHA