(By Abdullah al-Ghadawi; Transaltion by Yusra Ahmed)
Days after being reelected as a president of the Syrian opposition's National Coalition, Khalid Khoja, in special interview with Zaman al-Wasl is highlighting future agenda and regional developments related to Syrian conflict:
Q1- what have you achieved in your first presidency for the Coalition, and what are planning for the second one?
The first goal of the first presidency was to achieve the unity and strength of the Coalition, which was shown in the latest election as there was only two nominees and I have had 59 votes out of 99, while I got 56 votes out of 107 in the first election. More blocs voted in the second election as well.
The second important goal of the first and still to the second period of presidency is to restore the Coalitions importance in the international community and Syrian people.
We have visited many countries and most of them were good, but still we have not had significant outcomes, as we are still in the stage of building up. There are many indicators to the success of the Coalition, as we started to see the interest of the international community with in the National Coalition, and the supporting countries have the same attitudes of the Coalition. We managed to regain the support from some supporting countries.
In regard to the relations with community inside Syria, we have started opening channels of communications with the institutions of the civil community and military formations, we have many meetings with them and we touched changes in the attitudes of the Islamic formation inside Syria.
I can say that the fighting groups including the Islamic formations are now to accept the idea of national army and to accept that Syrian identity has the highest priority.
Q2- at the moment there is no military council, when do think are you going to finish the deliberation about the alternative?
When the National Coalition and the military council were formed there were 5 fronts (Southern, Northern, Eastern, Coastal and Central), now the Eastern front is under the Islamic state control, while the Central is under siege, we are now trying to find reform the Northern front and connect it to the Southern one under the same leadership. However, with the latest development and war against terrorism in Northern Syria and clearing some areas from the Islamic State members, I think the priority now is for the united military leadership and forming the base for the National army.
Q3- Practically, what is the real situation of the Government, some say that it has become an burden, what do you think?
There were many meetings with the Interim Prime Minister, Ahmed Tomeh, now we concentrate on 3 ministries (Services and infrastructure, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education).we need to get benefit from the recent situation in the Northern Syria to help the Government’s ministries to enter Syria, but that needs an army to protect the government and the local directorates. In regard to the work of other ministries, the local councils can do it. I think if the Interim government managed to enter the country, the support would increase, half of the support comes to the Coalition goes to cities under siege.
Q3- Staffan De Mistura says time is not suitable for Geneva3, what do you think?
I think that the report De Mistura handed to the Security Council was not fair when he put the revolutionary formations in the same side of the regime. In Geneva2 we announced that we were ready to discuss all Geneva1 points, but the Syrian regime refused. We told De Mistura that there is no problem in for the opposition to attend Geneva conference but the real problem is finding a force to bring the Syrian regime to negotiations, he had no answer.
We really want the political solution, but the problem is in the international community as it is not able or does not want to bring the Syrian regime to negotiations, despite the decision (2118) mentioned using force against the side refused the political solution.
Q4- We have not seen for a while any meeting for the Friends of Syrian people, have they got bored?
One of the mistakes toward the Syrian revolution is forming a group of Syrian people’s friend without finding real friends, it was clear that attitudes of some countries of the group were not in the best interest of Syrian people. When they blamed the opposition for its internal disagreement they reflected the dividing among them. From our side, the opposition was clear in its demands, to overthrow the Syrian regime and founding a democratic regime secure rights of minorities without any exclusion. When the differences among the group’s countries increased, they were not able to continue.
Days after being reelected as a president of the Syrian opposition's National Coalition, Khalid Khoja, in special interview with Zaman al-Wasl is highlighting future agenda and regional developments related to Syrian conflict:
Q1- what have you achieved in your first presidency for the Coalition, and what are planning for the second one?
The first goal of the first presidency was to achieve the unity and strength of the Coalition, which was shown in the latest election as there was only two nominees and I have had 59 votes out of 99, while I got 56 votes out of 107 in the first election. More blocs voted in the second election as well.
The second important goal of the first and still to the second period of presidency is to restore the Coalitions importance in the international community and Syrian people.
We have visited many countries and most of them were good, but still we have not had significant outcomes, as we are still in the stage of building up. There are many indicators to the success of the Coalition, as we started to see the interest of the international community with in the National Coalition, and the supporting countries have the same attitudes of the Coalition. We managed to regain the support from some supporting countries.
In regard to the relations with community inside Syria, we have started opening channels of communications with the institutions of the civil community and military formations, we have many meetings with them and we touched changes in the attitudes of the Islamic formation inside Syria.
I can say that the fighting groups including the Islamic formations are now to accept the idea of national army and to accept that Syrian identity has the highest priority.
Q2- at the moment there is no military council, when do think are you going to finish the deliberation about the alternative?
When the National Coalition and the military council were formed there were 5 fronts (Southern, Northern, Eastern, Coastal and Central), now the Eastern front is under the Islamic state control, while the Central is under siege, we are now trying to find reform the Northern front and connect it to the Southern one under the same leadership. However, with the latest development and war against terrorism in Northern Syria and clearing some areas from the Islamic State members, I think the priority now is for the united military leadership and forming the base for the National army.
Q3- Practically, what is the real situation of the Government, some say that it has become an burden, what do you think?
There were many meetings with the Interim Prime Minister, Ahmed Tomeh, now we concentrate on 3 ministries (Services and infrastructure, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education).we need to get benefit from the recent situation in the Northern Syria to help the Government’s ministries to enter Syria, but that needs an army to protect the government and the local directorates. In regard to the work of other ministries, the local councils can do it. I think if the Interim government managed to enter the country, the support would increase, half of the support comes to the Coalition goes to cities under siege.
Q3- Staffan De Mistura says time is not suitable for Geneva3, what do you think?
I think that the report De Mistura handed to the Security Council was not fair when he put the revolutionary formations in the same side of the regime. In Geneva2 we announced that we were ready to discuss all Geneva1 points, but the Syrian regime refused. We told De Mistura that there is no problem in for the opposition to attend Geneva conference but the real problem is finding a force to bring the Syrian regime to negotiations, he had no answer.
We really want the political solution, but the problem is in the international community as it is not able or does not want to bring the Syrian regime to negotiations, despite the decision (2118) mentioned using force against the side refused the political solution.
Q4- We have not seen for a while any meeting for the Friends of Syrian people, have they got bored?
One of the mistakes toward the Syrian revolution is forming a group of Syrian people’s friend without finding real friends, it was clear that attitudes of some countries of the group were not in the best interest of Syrian people. When they blamed the opposition for its internal disagreement they reflected the dividing among them. From our side, the opposition was clear in its demands, to overthrow the Syrian regime and founding a democratic regime secure rights of minorities without any exclusion. When the differences among the group’s countries increased, they were not able to continue.
Zaman Al Wasl
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