Press Release by Dr. Kadri Jamil

-    First of all, I would like to thank any effort paid by Mr. Abdulazim, or by other Syrian opposition figures of forces, to make rapprochement among them with the aim of putting an end to the Syrian aggravating catastrophe, through Geneva track, as the only available platform for the political solution of the Syrian crisis.

-    Ending divisions among Syrian oppositions is not a combining and/or cosmetic operation, rather this would be the result of drawing the needed differentiation lines within their ranks, based on defining common grounds in their programs for exiting out of the crisis, in relation to preserving Syrian blood, maintaining Syria's unity and territorial integrity, and continuing with fighting terrorism, all based on dropping pre-conditional mentality and adhering to the contents and agendas of the different resolutions and statements, related to the Syrian crisis, especially the UNSCR 2254.

-    If the hardliners of the regime want to deem all militants as ultimate terrorists, then what is needed from the armed groups and their political covers, who all declare their acceptance of the truce and engagement in the political process, is to make up their minds utterly, with regard to their position towards joining and keeping to that process, to their position towards the terrorist groups, like ISIS and Al-Nusra, and to start and contribute in fighting and defeating them. Without this the Syrian people would remain captive to the attempts by the different hardliners to revive their "victory/ bringing down" slogans, on one part under the banner of combating terrorism, and on the other, through camouflaging ISIS' and Al-Nusra's allies with moderation masks, leading at the end of the day to prolonging the lifespan of those terrorist organizations, let alone the attempts by these two same sides to use the political solution stage as a tool to realize their same old and sterile goals of "victory/ toppling", that lost impact and echo within the Syrians in general.

-    Accelerating the realization of the political solution in Geneva, on the basis of 2254, entails practically moving to the direct negotiations. This requires inclusively the reformation of the opposition delegations that would negotiate with the Syrian Government's delegation, or the delegation of the Syrian regime, in Geneva. It's for the good of the Syrian opposition forces to be in one, though not united, delegation, but that enjoys the minimum common grounds, needed only to implement UNSCR 2254, and not to carry out the program of this or that opposition force, particularly if the starting points of these programs proved their unrealistic aspects. Thus, it's unacceptable to deal with the currently existing delegations with tinkering formulas, as if there were essential forces and reserve or less important ones. This means that this one delegation should respect the principle of equal representation and similar powers between Riyadh opposition platform, on one hand, and Cairo, Moscow and other platforms, on the other.

-    I would like to remind, here, that Mr. de Mistura did not say that he was negotiating with the Riyadh group, while making consultations with the others. He was open in saying that had he been consulting with Cairo, Moscow and Istana Platforms, then all his meeting with the Riyadh and the Syrian government delegations had the same nature, and always with the aim of ending the Syrian dilemma. The man is still alive..! This indicates that the useless and harmful insults and innuendo should stop.

-    True, as Mr. Abdulazim said, it's high time for the Syrian oppositions to raise for their historical, national, and moral responsibilities. But it's high time for them, as well, to give up their dominant and inherited "leading party" mentality, and to concentrate instead on introducing the practical and concrete prepositions for ending the crisis, on consensual basis among the Syrians, in accordance with Geneva Communiqué of June 30, 2012, with all the resolutions and statements that followed. This should include concentrating on the agendas of 2254 and Geneva-3, i.e., reaching serious agreements on the Transitional Body, Constitution, and Elections, in a way that guaranties paving an actual way for the national, democratic, radical, deep, and comprehensive change in Syria, on all arenas.

-    The Syrians whose lives click with deaths, loses, arrests, impoverishments, hungers, besieges, displacements, and refuge-seeking, will not forgive those who prolong their pains, whatever were their political flags.

-    As we remind of what Mr. Abdulazim already well knows that we, in the Change and Liberation Front, are not to join any side, with its papers and documents as they are, including the Riyadh platform and its emanating negotiation commission, we in Moscow Platform are, at the same time, open to make contacts, build relations, and reach true agreements, on equal rather than subordinate basis, with all Syrian opposition forces, in service of reaching the complete resolution of the Syrian crisis.

May 12, 2016
Dr. Kadri Jamil
Chairman, Moscow Platform
to Geneva Intra-Syrian Talks

Arabic source: Al-Watan Newspaper, Issue No. 2396, May 15, 2016
http://alwatan.sy/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/23962.pdf