By Abdullah al-Ghadawi; Translation by Yusra Ahmed)
Hassan Abdul-Azim, the General Coordinator for the Opposition Coordinating Committee for Democratic Change said that the National Coalition has tackled the obstacle of Assad’s stepping down in Geneva2, as Kofi Anan’s initiative had not determined the fate of al-Assad.
In His talk to Zaman al-Wasl, Abdul-Azim mentioned that regional and international circumstances are now more suitable to hold Geneva3 conference. He found that military solution is impossible in Syria, as Russia from the beginning warned that it would not let al-Assad to fall down.
The full interview with Zaman al-Wasl:
Q1- Are the local, regional and international circumstances suitable for holding Geneva3 conference?
Of course the local, regional and international circumstances are suitable to hold Geneva3 conference compared to previous years and stages, especially after the widespread of the Islamic State (ISIS) and other terrorist organizations in Syria and Iraq, which has started to threaten other Arabic and regional countries, besides the international security and peace.
Moreover, the closed end which the military and armed conflict between the regime and the armed opposition has reached to, made it difficult to resolve the crisis by force.
Q2-What are the determinants of Geneva3 conference, are Kofi Anan’s initiative and Geneva1 still the ground for solution?
There is no alternative to Geneva's communique 1 which was recognized by the Security Council on 30-June 2012, and initiated by Kofi Anan. The 6 points of the statement drew a road-map for a political solution to reach to by negotiation between regime and opposition.
The opposition forces inside and outside Syria has passed significant stages to unite their efforts and vision after Cairo conference on 8-9 June 2015 and its two final statements (the national Convention and roadmap of the political solution), added to Cairo’s statement for Syria and its 10 points which were agreed by the preparatory meeting held on January 22, 2015 for three days and determined a committee responsible for circulating and discussing the conference’s documents with countries and forces. All that with the effort of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry to find regional and international supports.
On the other hand, if Geneva3 was held this Autumn, the outcomes of the field battles would affect the decisions of the conference.
Q3- from your point of view, what is needed for the recent stage, Assad to stay or to leave during the transitional period?
Geneva’s statement was ambiguous and did not mention the step down of the President, but it mentioned to transfer his executive power to the Transitional Government to be able to lead the transitional stage. Assad’s departure which was demanded by the Syrian National Council and its supporters was not successful, moreover it caused severe dividing and polarisation to support the military actions and and gain significant achievements, either by the regime from one side, and the armed opposition and other regional and international forces on the other side, which facilitated the entry of Jihadi and extreme groups to the country leading in the end for the Islamic State (ISIS) to be founded and spread.
The revolutionary and opposition forces had reached in Cairo conference to a roadmap for the political solution showing its vision to explain Geneva’s statement. Participating in Geneva3 without putting Assad’s stepping-down as a condition within Geneva’s statement, and to adopt the vision of Syria in future without the recent regime and president. Previously, delegations of the National Coalition for the Revolutionary forces and Opposition had bypassed the departure of Assad.
Q4- What has De Mistura’s efforts resulted in during the last months?
De Mistura’s movements and activities are affected by the local situation and forces (the regime and opposition) and by the supporting Arabic countries like Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, besides the effects of regional countries like Iran and Turkey, moreover, he is affected by the countries of permanent membership in the security council (Russia, USA, UK, France and China) besides the international leagues and organizations like the United nations and the European Union. Therefore, he tries to communicate with all those forces to deliver his view and to arrange for Geneva3 conference and implement the points of Geneva1 issued in 2012.
Q5- What changes took place in the Syrian situation between Geneva2 and Geneva3 and what changes should be done?
Many changes happened after Geneva2, first was the wide movement of the opposition inside Syria toward the Arabic countries and attending Cairo Conference and agreeing on many documents and founding a road map for the political solution, and the National Convention for the future of Syria beside a committee representing the independent forces and figures work to communicate with the countries and forces which did not attend the conference to complete the unity of the opposition.
The second change was the appearance of the Islamic State (ISIS) and others which controlled wide areas of Syria and Iraq and expanding its effects to the Arabic and European countries and the world, which led the internationals group and the European Union and the United nations to realize the importance of finding a political peaceful solution for the Syrian crisis and holding Geneva3 conference.
The third change was the agreement about the Iranian Nuclear file among the 5+1 group this July and its positive effects on sorting out the crisis in Syria, Iraq, Yemen Bahrain and Lebanon.
The fourth change was the beginning of forming an Arabic Egyptian Saudi Gulf alliance can be the stepping stone for resolving the Syrian crisis politically.
Q6- How do you see Brussels meeting with the National Coalition. Are you worried about retrogression in the agreement and harmony?
Brussels meeting between the National Coalition and members of the Coordinating Committee to explore the attitude of the national Coalition from different matters. The Executive office had discussed what happened with high responsibility and issued a statement about the outcomes on 29-July-2015.
Q7- is it right that Russia has finally got convinced that Assad needs to step down?but the problem was the alternative?
Russia from the beginning has confirmed its support to a political solution according to Geneva1 statement, and the outcomes of the negotiations decide the fate of Bashar al-Assad, but Russia rejects throwing over Bashar al-Assad by force to secure its interest, avoiding what happened in Libya and Iraq.
Q8- Do you accept Nusra Front as a Syrian formation on the negotiation table?
The Coordinating Committee do not accept any armed group rejects the political solution and forming a republican varied democratic regime and a civil decentralized country, because that would be the choice for the revolution which broke out to achieve freedom, dignity, social fairness and the country of rights and law for all.
Zaman Al Wasl
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