‘Opposition Coalition’ Rejects Geneva I communiqué, Says al-Zoubi

GENEVA,(ST)_Information Minister has confirmed that  rejection of the ‘opposition coalition’ of the national sovereignty and the political and democratic pluralism is a flagrant rejection of the Geneva I communiqué.

Omran al-Zoubi , who was speaking to reporters on Monday, unveiled that the so-called ‘opposition coalition’ rejected the political statement presented by the official delegation today in just 2 minutes after making a call possibly with Robert Ford, Saud al-Faisal or Ahmet Davutoglu.

He clarified that the statement of the official delegation included no word about presidency or the president. “I think that Lakhdar Elibrahimi was disappointed because the statement was neither read nor discussed but was rejected in 2 minutes.”

He promised that the Syrian official delegation will not be fumed and will not withdraw from the ongoing talks in Geneva.  

“We are open to discussion and we came to Geneva 2 conference to present new ideas and methods in order to launch a political process. But they ‘ coalition and their masters’ do not want this,” al-Zoubi said.

All Syrians are equal

On the other hand, the minister asserted that all Syrians are equal wherever they are and the Syrian state deals with them equally and under one standard.

“No one wants to achieve a political victory in the humanitarian topic and we will never allow the others to think that they are doing so. The humanitarian topic has nothing to do with political calculations and investment,” al-Zoubi said.

 He added that the Syrian government, in cooperation with the UN organizations, provides humanitarian support to all areas nationwide according to the response plan.

“There are areas, such as Homs, Ma’aloula, Nobbel, al-Zahra’a and Adra, that are in need of humanitarian support. All areas in Syria are part of the country regardless of any consideration,” al-Zoubi said.

“A month ago, some 800 Syrian citizens, held by gunmen, were evacuated from al-Zara area in Homs and they were provided with shelters, food and medical services. There are big numbers of Syrian citizens besieged in the areas of Ma’aloula, Adra, Nobbel and al-Zahra’a,”

The minister underlined that before launching the response plan, the Syrian government was providing aid to the areas in need through popular committees  and mayors.

“Providing aid to the old city of Homs is being arranged with the International Red Cross and it has nothing to do with what have been discussed in the Geneva conference,” al-Zoubi said.

Coalition has no proof 

Relative to the detainees file, the minister underscored that the coalition delegation presented no list of the children arrested in the Syrian jails, adding that the Syrian state doesn’t arrest children.

“When the authorities arrest the children who have been recruited by the armed groups in the ongoing war, they are being treated as children not as detainees. The authorities take into consideration the psychological effect children have been through,” he added.

Secret talks

Regarding rumors of talks, on the sideline of the conference, between western delegations and the Syrian official delegation and coalition delegation, al-Zoubi said: “This is a political process and the goal of our presence here [in Geneva] is to meet the other delegation – the so-called opposition- according to decided logistic measures. We are seriously seeking to achieve progress and to pave the way for political process.”

Basma Qaddour