Syria’s national dialogue conference is set to begin on Monday, focusing on the country’s political future post-Assad. The main session will tackle discussions on transitional justice, constitutional reform, and economic strategies, with outcomes being nonbinding recommendations. The event follows uncertain planning, with significant efforts to ensure diverse representation, though the Kurdish-led forces were notably excluded.
Syria’s long-awaited national dialogue conference is scheduled to commence on Monday, aiming to establish a political framework post-Bashar Assad’s regime. The main session is set for Tuesday, featuring workshops that will address critical areas such as transitional justice, a new constitution, government reform, personal freedoms, civil society roles, and economic strategies. Recommendations generated from the dialogue will be nonbinding for the newly appointed leaders.
The conference date was announced just one day prior, after months of uncertainty regarding scheduling. Hassan al-Daghim, the organizing committee’s spokesperson, indicated that a definite date had yet to be determined, leaving discussions and participant numbers open-ended, with estimates ranging from 400 to 1,000 attendees.
Prior to the conference, the organizing committee conducted over 30 meetings across Syrian provinces, engaging approximately 4,000 citizens to ensure diverse representation from various societal factions. According to state-run news agency SANA, participants repeatedly emphasized the need for a temporary constitutional declaration, a comprehensive economic strategy, government restructuring, citizen management involvement, and improved security stability.
Post-Assad’s fall, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the principal former rebel faction in control, established an interim administration chiefly composed of members from its “salvation government” in Northwestern Syria. They initially proposed forming a new government through an inclusive method by March, appointing Ahmad al-Sharaa as interim president in January after meetings among former rebel groups, which agreed to dissolve the existing constitution, military, and political parties.
Armed factions at the meetings consented to disband, integrating their personnel into the upcoming national army and security forces. However, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, influential in northeast Syria, were not invited to the dialogue, highlighting ongoing discrepancies in representation within the Syrian conflict landscape.
The upcoming national dialogue conference in Syria represents a crucial step towards reshaping the nation’s political landscape after the fall of Bashar Assad. With participants discussing essential topics such as governance, constitutional reform, and military restructuring, the outcome may significantly affect Syria’s future. However, the absence of certain groups, like the Kurdish forces, highlights ongoing challenges in achieving comprehensive national dialogue and representation.
Original Source: www.voanews.com
