National Dialogue to end the ongoing crisis

DAMASCUS, (ST)_ Mahmoud Marai, the Secretary General of the Damascus –based opposition National Democratic Action Committee in Syria talks to Syria Times.

 What is your Committee stance from the Russian support?

 We support the Russian airstrikes against terrorism and terrorist groups of Da’ash, al-nusra and others. These airstrikes are very useful to root out terrorism.  What Russia did, at the official request of Syria, in one month is more than what the United States –led coalition did in more than a year.

 Russia also has good political ties with the Syrian government and national opposition groups. For that reason, Russia could gather the government and oppositions in Moscow 1 and Moscow 2 Meetings. Our Committee participated in both meetings and we reached to good results in them.

The Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad made a successful visit to Moscow and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both leaders discussed means of activating the military and political cooperation, which will pave the way to a political solution to put an end of the crisis in Syria.

 How do you see the political solution for the crisis in Syria?

 We believe that the President Bashar Al-Assad is a national necessity and very important to make success of the political solution for the crisis in Syria.

 We consider the Syrian Arab Army as the national army which contains in its units all Syrians and we support the Army in its war against terrorism.

 We believe in dialogue process to end the ongoing crisis in Syria by holding a national conference which includes all sides, the government, internal opposition and external opposition, which believe in the political means and are not engaged in any terrorist activities. The conference should be hold with international guarantees for external opposition figures to attend the conference in Damascus and to discuss all issues and topics regarding the crisis in Syria. The conference participants will form a national government, which will prepare the country to a parliamentary election, and solve the issues of detainees, missing and kidnapped in addition to Syrian displaced inside and outside the country and their return to their homes.

 How do you distinguish between internal and external oppositions?

 The Syrian internal national opposition groups have long honest history and legitimate demands. They have no dubious link with any external sides and foreign agendas. They live inside the country and suffer as other Syrian citizens of mortars and war statue in Syria.

The internal opposition stands against any foreign intervention in the Syrian issues and believe in the unity of Syrian land and people.

We believe that Syria is for all Syrians regardless their ethnic or religion backgrounds and Syrians make the Syrian solution only.

  The external opposition groups are led by Arab Gulf States, regional and international sides and call for foreign military intervention in Syria. Some of these groups implement agendas and plots to divide Syria and some of these groups called to deal with the Turkish Lira instead of the Syrian Pound.

The external oppositions are mainly made by foreign intelligence departments to implement their agendas in the Syrian arena.

 Can you give our readers a brief idea about your National Democratic Action Committee?

 Different national opposition groups, forces and figures announced the formation of the National Democratic Action Committee on May 12, 2014. The announcement was made

in a public press conference, held in a hotel in Damascus downtown. The press conference was attended by nine ambassadors and different local and foreign mass media means.

 Our Committee calls for the amendment of  the Law of Parties. I graduate from the Faculty of Law at Damascus University. Since 1993, I am a lawyer and opposition figure and believe in the pan-Arabism Nasserite ( late Egyptian president Jamal Abdul Nasser)’s principles.

I made visits to China, Iran, Russia, Sweden, Spain, Egypt and other states to participate in political meetings and gatherings.

 Interviewed by Obaida Al-Mohammad.