Syrian opposition calls for intl pressure on Assad regime
MOSCOW. Feb 3 (Interfax) - The Syrian opposition organization Damascus Declaration for Democratic Change in Syria believes the Syrian authorities will not agree to a compromise with the opposition on the settlement of the situation in the country until the world community, including Russia, the United States, and the EU put pressure on them.
"We are confident that the Assad regime will not agree to a compromise until international pressure is exerted on it by great powers, including the U.S. and Russia, and also the European Union through the UN Security Council," the Mahmoud al-Hamza, president of the national council of the Damascus declaration, said in a statement.
Mahmoud al-Hamza called on the Russian administration to help the people of Syria, "who want to live without dictatorship and who have always been friends of the peoples of Russia." He also wished success to the negotiations between the top officials of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Syrian National Coalition, which will be held in Moscow on Tuesday.
Mahmoud al-Hamza also said the crisis in Syria can only be settled politically.
"We in the Damascus Declaration for Democratic Change in Syria support the fulfillment of the Geneva I decision fully as is stated in Resolution No. 2118 of the UN Security Council and we believe that responsibility for the implementation of the Geneva I decision rests fully with the UN Security Council and Geneva II should work out specific steps for its implementation," the statement says.
Mahmoud al-Hamza said his organization has offered its own political plan for resolving the Syrian issue. The essence of this plan is to begin by stopping the bloodshed in the country, unblock the cities and allowing the provision of humanitarian aid to their residents, and to release political prisoners, including women and children.
"Then we can begin serious negotiations with the authorities to form an interim government, which will get the powers of all state institutions, including military, special services, and presidential," the document says.