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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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| Information | | |
Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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04Feb14
Syria opposition groups eye broader representation in Geneva talks
The Syria-based opposition groups have agreed that the ill-representation of the Syrian opposition groups in the Geneva II peace talks was one of the main reasons behind the failure, saying that a broader representation could result in tangible results for a political settlement for the country's three-year-old conflict.
They pointed out that the most important aspect is to have one program with a unified negotiation vision of the opposition to help in bringing the three-year-old conflict to an end.
The home-based opposition groups have complained that they were not invited to take part in the Geneva II conference as independent entities. The United States, one of the sponsors of the conference, said that other parties could participate under the SNC umbrella.
The opposition groups, mainly the NCB, said there was no way they would partake under the SNC umbrella, demanding an equal representation in a unified opposition delegation but not in the SNC shadow. The first round of talks wrapped up last Friday with no results at all.
Maher Murhej, the leader of the Youth Party, told Xinhua Tuesday that the participation of a wider opposition delegation in the second round of the talks is an "urgent necessity" in order for the talks to result in a positive outcome regarding the political solution to the country's long-standing conflict.
He contended that the U.S. "still insists on excluding the Syria-based opposition groups and tries to market the coalition as the sole representative of the Syrian people."
He stressed that "if the situation remains that way, we will not count much on the second round of talks in Geneva."
He said that the representation of the opposition should be a " real representation of those reflecting the large spectra of the Syrians," stressing that the expanding the opposition's representation should not be "selectively."
Meanwhile, Ahmad al-Esrawi of the oppositional National Coordination Body (NCB), told Xinhua that "if the opposition takes part in the conference with a unified vision, then something positive will emerge from the conference."
"We want to go to Geneva with a firm belief in the political solution," he stressed.
Anas Joudeh of the Building Syria State party told Xinhua that the broader representation of the opposition would surely have concrete results of the second round of Geneva II talks.
He reiterated that "the solution to Syria's crisis must be participatory among the Syrian forces on the basis of their shared goal of a democratic transformation in Syria."
Aside from the political comments, diplomatic efforts are apparently being exerted to secure the participation of new opposition parties in the second round of talks, due to open on Feb.10.
An opposition figure told Xinhua on Tuesday that an imminent meeting will take place in Egypt's Cairo within the next couple of days and will group the leaders of the SNC and the NCB to discuss wider representation of the Syrian opposition groups in the upcoming talks in Geneva.
[Source: Xinhua, Damascus, 04Feb14]
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