Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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Damascus, SANA- Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem affirmed that the constitutional committee is led and owned by Syria, and “we will not accept any dictations, pressures or foreign interference.
Interviewed by the Syrian TV on Tuesday, al-Moallem asserted that taking about ready-made constitutions is a rejected issue and that the committee is independent.
He added that the committee to discuss the constitution was one of the outcomes of the Syrian National Dialogue Conference which was held in Sochi in January 2018 and it will review the constitution in 2019, indicating that the committee took about 18 months to form it due to the foreign pressures on the UN Special Envoy for Syria.
Al-Moallem said that the names of the committee’s members, and the rules of procedures which regulate the work of the Syrian-Syrian dialogue with regard to revising the constitution were agreed upon.
He noted that the committee comprises 150 members, 50 of whom are supported by the Syrian government, 50 for the other party and 50 for the civil society, adding that a small committee will emanate from the expanded committee and it will include 45 members.
Al-Moallem added that the expanded committee will start its work in Geneva on Oct. 30th and UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen will return to Damascus after finishing the meetings of the UN General Assembly to agree with him on all the details.
He asserted Syria’s rejection of any foreign interference in the work of the committee and will not accept any foreign dictations or a timetable for its work which will be open till finishing its works, and all the components of the committee must acknowledge that the Syrian Arab Republic is a sovereign and independent state, and that liberating its lands from terrorism and the foreign presence is a national duty.
Al-Moallem added that there are certain standards for those who will discuss the constitution, indicating that the role of the UN at the committee will be facilitating the work of the parties according to the agreement of forming it and this role doesn’t interfere in the essence of the discussion.
He affirmed that all talks about ready-made constitutions are rejected as the committee is independent as it discusses, decides and votes on each article which it reaches.
Al-Moallem added that Syria will not allow anyone to interfere in forming the constitution as it is related to the future of the Syrian generations and that there are measures that have been followed up closely by President Bashar al-Assad and those to adhere to them will achieve progress and those who don’t abide by them will hinder the work of the committee.
He affirmed that Syria is working according to a political track and when it feels that there is a foreign interference, it will announce that and stop the talks and it is a basic stance as any interference in the work of the committee contradicts with the rules of procedures that had been agreed upon.
He indicated that the rules of procedures of the committee take into consideration the aspirations of the Syrian people and the Syrian national principled stances as well as the victories achieved by the Syrian army, therefore, there are no fears of discussing the constitution at all, but the other party is not trusted as the “previous experiences have taught us that they are only tools in the hands of foreign forces.”
” Now the committee has been formed and we declared our approval of it, and we will see what the UN Secretary General will do to promote this committee on the international arena, and what are the stances of the states. Will they stop their conspiracies? ….Will they restore their relations with Syria?… All of these things will push forwards the work of the committee in a positive way,” al-Moallem said.
He added “Since the beginning of the crisis in Syria, the directives of President al-Bashar Assad to go on all tracks at the same time , but doubtlessly when the political track slows down, the field track advances and today we are determined to liberate every inch of the Syrian territories from terrorism and the illegitimate foreign presence, and this work will continue.”
He noted that Pedersen was informed that combating terrorism in Syria is a right guaranteed by the international law as it is fighting terrorist organizations which are on the list of the Security Council for the terrorist entities, thereby, the international law and the UN Charter stand by it, and it is the right of each independent state to practice its sovereignty on its territories.
Al-Moallem said that Syria works on three tracks which are the political, military and reconciliations tracks, in addition to depending on its own capabilities in the reconstruction of what has been destroyed at the hands of terrorists.
Ruaa al-Jazaeri
