Riyad Darar: political stalemate puts stability at risk in Syria

While evaluating Syria’s political situation, Darar pointed out during an exclusive interview to ANHA agency that the country continues to suffer from a relative political stalemate as a result of the effect of many domestic, regional, and international factors preventing comprehensive settlement.

One of the major reasons for that, according to Darar, is the plurality of centers of power and influence and the presence of many different actors with contradicting interests in the process. This leads to a political consensus failure and the stagnation of different solution ways, including those provided by UN resolutions and negotiations.

Moreover, he noted that political transition, constitutional reform, and elections are still far from any tangible development, emphasizing that the lack of trust between the conflicting parties is one of the biggest hurdles to any political achievement.

As stated by Darar, a considerable distance is still being kept between the new government and the opposition due to a difference in views on the nature of the political solution, the future of the state institutions, and the distribution of power.

Furthermore, he said that the growing poverty and humanitarian crises, together with the lowering quality of life of the population, made the situation even more complicated in terms of politics because the citizens started to pay more attention to their daily problems rather than political ones.

Taking into consideration the changing positions of the regional and international players regarding Syria, Darar considers that the present state of things does not indicate the approaching conclusion of the political process yet.

Factors contributing to the political stalemate

In discussing the underlying causes of this phenomenon, Darar identified the presence of both domestic and foreign factors in Syria’s political stalemate as being a result of the interwoven and intersecting issues. These include the varying visions of the Syrians themselves, since there remain conflicting views among the government and the opposition on what form of political solution will be reached, state structure, political transition process, and constitutional reform.

Further, he pointed out the impact of years of conflict as leading to distrust among political and military parties, which renders the possibility of reaching a lasting solution to the situation difficult.

Furthermore, according to Darar, the convergence of interests at the regional and international levels have made the Syrian situation become a “battlefield” of many powerful actors.

He noted that the existence of multiple spheres of influence and different armed groups renders impossible any attempt at imposition or implementation of any political agreement.

“Unfortunately, the various negotiating channels have been unable to bring about a genuine breakthrough in such key areas as the Constitution, governance, or the electoral system,” Darar said, “and that is why the political deadlocks persist.”

He also mentioned the deterioration of economic and living conditions as an important aspect influencing the situation as a whole and forcing the local population to concentrate on their basic needs.

Darar also stressed that another problem that renders the current crisis more complex is the lack of full international consensus with respect to the future of Syria. Some agreements have been achieved on some issues, while the major international players fail to reach an agreement on the shape of a possible settlement and the mechanisms of its implementation.

He stressed that the deadlock in which Syria finds itself is not caused by one factor but by the accumulation of political, security, economic, and diplomatic problems that make it increasingly hard to reach a comprehensive solution, despite all regional and international attempts to move the political process forward.

Consequences of continued political stagnation

Discussing the repercussions of the ongoing impasse, Darar explained that its effects extend across political, economic, social, humanitarian, and security dimensions.

He stated that one of the most significant consequences is the prolongation of instability and the delay in reaching a comprehensive political settlement. It also hinders the political and institutional reforms necessary to strengthen governance and rebuild trust between the state and society.

According to Darar, the lack of political stability negatively impacts the economy by slowing reconstruction and investment efforts due to the absence of a stable and attractive environment.

He further noted that social consequences include worsening living conditions, rising poverty, growing social vulnerability, and declining public confidence in state institutions as a result of the absence of tangible solutions to accumulated crises.

On the humanitarian front, he emphasized that millions of Syrians continue to require humanitarian assistance and relief support. At the same time, the healthcare, education, and basic services sectors remain under significant pressure, while efforts to facilitate the safe and sustainable return of refugees and IDPs continue to face serious challenges.

Regarding security, Darar explained that the persistence of local hotspots and the possibility of renewed escalation in certain areas remain among the most prominent consequences of the absence of an inclusive political settlement, making it difficult to achieve comprehensive security and stability throughout the country.

He stressed that the effects of political deadlock extend far beyond politics, impacting the economy, society, security, and humanitarian affairs. The longer the political stalemate continues, the greater the cost of the crisis becomes, making the resolution of accumulated challenges increasingly difficult and complex.

The way out of the crisis

When asked about the most appropriate mechanism for overcoming the impasse, Darar emphasized that the solution lies in a Syrian-led transitional process under United Nations and Arab sponsorship, based on gradual and synchronized steps rather than waiting for a comprehensive solution to emerge all at once.

He explained that this process should begin with an inclusive national dialogue involving the government, opposition groups, local actors, societal components, women, youth, and representatives of refugees and displaced persons, ensuring that the political process is not confined solely to traditional political elites.

Darar proposed the formation of an expanded transitional authority or government with clearly defined powers whose role would be to manage the transitional period rather than monopolize authority, in accordance with the principle of inclusive and non-exclusive governance consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 2,254.

He also called for a serious constitutional process that goes beyond symbolic committees and leads to a constitution guaranteeing the separation of powers, fundamental rights, administrative decentralization, and the participation of all societal components.

Furthermore, he stressed the need for immediate confidence-building measures, including the release of detainees, clarification of the fate of missing persons, an end to arbitrary arrests, facilitation of refugee returns, and the expansion of humanitarian access free from political considerations.

He also highlighted the importance of gradual security arrangements involving the integration or dismantling of armed formations, reform of security institutions, and guarantees that weapons will not be used in political conflicts.

Darar added that economic support and reconstruction efforts should be linked to political progress, emphasizing that any sanctions relief or international funding should be conditioned on tangible steps toward political transition.

Concluding his remarks, Darar underscored the need for international and regional guarantees from the United Nations, Arab states, Turkey, Iran, Russia, the United States, and the European Union. He noted that the Syrian crisis is no longer merely a domestic issue and that the true path forward does not lie in military dominance or normalization alone, but rather in a gradual transitional settlement backed by clear guarantees one in which Syrians feel they are active partners in shaping the future of their country rather than passive recipients of agreements crafted without their participation.

ANHA