Vienna Talks !
To Cut it short, Vienna talks are to be considered a face-saving opportunity for those who have illegally been working for the destruction of Syria, most importantly for the destruction of its essence of strength! For legitimate and legal powers of the fight against terrorism, Vienna talks are another test for those supporters and backers of terrorism in a further bid as to emerge out from the foreign imposed crisis upon the Syrians.
Vienna underscored 9 points have been since day one of the crisis in Syria the cornerstone for all and every mechanism of solution. Most of the reiterated in Vienna 9 points is even part and parcel of the Syrian Constitution as well as of President Bashar Al-Assad‘s January 6th, 2013 landmark Speech
Vienna talks asserted:
- Syria’s unity, independence, territorial integrity, and secular character are fundamental.
- State institutions will remain intact.
- The rights of all Syrians, regardless of ethnicity or religious denomination, must be protected.
- It is imperative to accelerate all diplomatic efforts to end the war.
- Humanitarian access will be ensured throughout the territory of Syria, and the participants will increase support for internally displaced persons, refugees, and their host countries.
- Da’esh, and other terrorist groups, as designated by the U.N. Security Council, and further, as agreed by the participants, must be defeated.
- Pursuant to the 2012 Geneva Communique and U.N. Security Council Resolution 2118, the participants invited the U.N. to convene representatives of the Government of Syria and the Syrian opposition for a political process leading to credible, inclusive, non-sectarian governance, followed by a new constitution and elections. These elections must be administered under U.N. supervision to the satisfaction of the governance and to the highest international standards of transparency and accountability, free and fair, with all Syrians, including the diaspora, eligible to participate.
- This political process will be Syrian led and Syrian owned, and the Syrian people will decide the future of Syria.
- The participants together with the United Nations will explore modalities for, and implementation of, a nationwide ceasefire to be initiated on a date certain and in parallel with this renewed political process.
The Syrian Government , in its two specific sessions dated 8 & 9 January 2013,based on H.E. President Bashar Al-Assad‘s January 6th landmark Speech, stated the following:
Based upon the instructions of Mr. President of the Syrian Arab Republic to the Government to formulate the mechanisms and executive steps of the Political Program for solving the crisis in Syria, the Council of Ministers, 4) Calling the international society, with all its bodies, organizations and states, to support the political solution of the crisis in Syria, to combat terror of all forms, and to abide by implementing the related UN resolutions, including banning exporting arms to the terrorist groups and stop their financial, political and informative support.
6) Entrusting the specialized governmental committees to convene intensive meetings for speeding up the implementation of the necessary succor plans with a view to treating the consequences of events, especially repair of defects resulting from terrorist sabotage operations of utilities and rehabilitating infrastructures in energy, water and other sectors, securing consumer supplies, combating monopoly, controlling economic status and making decisions concerning the claims of people damaged by events and compensating them, as well as dealing with situations of those displaced inside and outside.
7) Entrusting the Supreme Relief Committee to provide humanitarian aids and facilitating their reach to eligible people in cooperation with local activity groups, civil society organizations and the concerned international organizations inside and outside Syria.
Starting from the principles and objectives of the UN Charter, the International Law, the related UN resolutions and the Geneva Declaration issued on 30.06.2012 ascertaining the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the states and non-interference in their internal affairs, and believing in the necessity of dialogue among the Syrian people under the leadership of Syria, and for drawing up the political future of the democratic Syria on the basis of political multiplicity, and with a view to creating a safe and stable climate based upon ceasing all forms of violence, the Political Program for solving the crisis in Syria will be as follows:
Firstly- The Preparatory Stage:
1. The abidance of all territorial and international states and parties by stopping financing, arming and providing refuge for the armed groups;
2. The abidance of all armed groups by immediately ceasing all forms of violence;
3. The abidance of the army and the armed forces by ceasing military operations except in cases of defending themselves, citizens and public and private properties;
4. Finding a mechanism ensuring the abidance of parties by ceasing violence and control of borders;
5. Facilitating the reach of humanitarian aids to those deserving them;
6. Starting rehabilitating infrastructures and paying compensations to damaged citizens;
7. Providing the necessary guarantees for the Syrian citizens who have left because of the events, and facilitating their return through the border inlets;
8. Providing guarantees for all Syrian opposition movements to enter, stay and leave the country without pursuing or detaining them for the purpose of participating in the national dialogue;
9. Entrusting the Ministry of Justice to cooperate with other concerned bodies for taking the necessary actions for speeding up referral to the judiciary and taking decisions in suitcases under hearing due to the current events, setting free persons whose incrimination has not been proved and settling the situations of anybody handing in his weapon to the concerned bodies and not pursuing him due to that;
10. Carrying out extensive contacts by the Government with the national opposition, parties, all political powers and civil society bodies, including social, religious and economic bodies, to immediately start open dialogues for holding the comprehensive National Dialogue Conference.
Secondly- The Transitional Stage, starting after finishing the Preparatory Stage,
This includes the following:
1. The Government calls for holding a comprehensive National Dialogue Conference aiming at drawing up a National Covenant based upon the following:
a. Adherence to the sovereignty of Syria, and the unity and integrity of its lands and people;
b. Denial of all forms of external interference in the Syrian affairs;
c. Rejection of all forms of violence and terror;
d. Drawing up the political future of the democratic Syria and agreeing upon the constitutional and judicial system and the political and economic features on the basis of the political multiplicity and the rule of law, adhering to the civil status of the state, ascertaining equality among citizens irrespective of race, religion and ethnics, freedom of opinion, respect of human rights, combating corruption, developing administration, agreeing upon new laws for parties, elections, local administration and information, and other matters to be agreed upon in the conference.
2. Putting the National Covenant before people referendum for approval.
3. Forming an expanded government with wide executive powers, as per the constitution rules, representing the Syrian society components and entrusted with the task of forming a constituent assembly for drawing up a new draft constitution in implementation of what has been agreed upon in National Dialogue Conference about the constitutional and judicial system and the political and economic features of the renovated Syria.
4. When the constituent assembly finishes its work, the draft constitution would be put forth for referendum to be approved by the people.
5. After accrediting the constitution, such an extensive government would adopt the laws agreed upon in the Dialogue Conference as a preliminary step toward issuing them as per the new constitution.
6. Performing the parliamentary elections based upon the new election law and in accordance with the constitution rules.
Thirdly- The Third Stage:
1. The new government is to be formed in accordance with the new constitution.
2. The National Reconciliation Conference is to be convened with a view to restoring firm bonds among Syrian citizens starting from the nationalistic and ethical concepts that have characterized the Syrian citizen.
3. Issuing a general amnesty for crimes committed during the events, setting free detainees and stopping pursuing any citizen as a result of those events, while preserving civil rights of the related persons.
4. Completing and speeding up works of rehabilitating infrastructures, rebuilding and compensating citizens damaged by these events.
Dr. Mohammad Abdo Al-Ibrahim