Syrian coalition calls for ‘comprehensive, non-sectarian’ transitional government

President of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, Hadi Al-Bahra, called on Wednesday for the formation of a transitional government that is inclusive of all groups that is far from sectarianism.

This came during a press conference held by Al-Bahra in Istanbul, the first for the coalition after the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime 10 days ago.

Al-Bahra said, “There are guidelines for the transitional phase that the Syrians have agreed upon throughout 14 years of discussions, meetings, forums and workshops, and which the international community has adopted.”

He called for the transitional government to be “based on a comprehensive dialogue that includes all components and spectrums of the Syrian people, and when it is formed, it must be inclusive of everyone and represent all Syrian components, without the exclusion of any party.”

Al-Bahra also called for “holding an extensive national conference from all Syrian governorates (14 governorates), and any institution that we establish within the transitional period must be inclusive of everyone.”

Al-Bahra stressed that the candidates should be “known for their experience in their field of work and their good qualities in their community, and there should be no criminal cases against them, as people can give confidence to those who have these qualities.”

He stressed the importance of “not establishing the government on a sectarian basis”, noting that “there should be participation from the entire religious spectrum within a government that includes, for example, our Druze brothers, our Alawite brothers and our Christian brothers, and includes all the geographical and demographic nature of Syria.”

Al-Bahra also explained that “the coalition members were in Homs and held excellent and wonderful meetings with some components of the city’s residents, bringing their viewpoints closer and reassuring them. They also sought to establish civil peace in the city.”

The coalition leader continued, “Our members in Damascus are also holding meetings with all components of the Syrian people regarding the issue of political transition in the country.”

On Tuesday, the coalition expressed its support for the Syrian interim government headed by Mohammed Al-Bashir, which was formed the day after the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime.

On Monday, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, welcomed the commitment of the interim transitional government in Syria to protect civilians and humanitarian workers.

On 8 December, Syrian factions took control of the capital, Damascus, and other cities, toppling the Assad family regime that had ruled the country for 53 years, ending a 61-year term of Baath Party rule.

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