Syrian opposition coalition head Hadi al-Bahra offered details regarding the ideal future road map for Syria’s remake, including complex aspects, opportunities, challenges and disruptors, during a recent interview with Daily Sabah.
Syria has been in a phase of political reorientation since Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-led anti-regime forces launched a surprise offensive in December that resulted in the overthrow of long-time authoritarian leader Bashar Assad after almost 14 years of civil war. A transitional government has been put in place, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, who proposed a national dialogue conference to draft the country’s future institutions, politics and constitution.
He explained: “The national conference has to have a preparatory committee, which has to be inclusive, credible and not based on sectarian backgrounds. The committee must specify who will be invited to the national conference. There are several concepts about how to do it. Should it be held for once in Damascus, or should a national committee that discusses the same agenda be held in each province, after which conclusions would be reached and representatives elected from the provinces would be sent to Damascus for the actual national conference?”
Al-Bahra also said a formula at the provincial and national levels would be more legitimate and representative. “This would help have less than the planned 1,000-1,500 representatives in Damascus as the high number would impede reaching a meaningful discussion.”
“This national conference must similarly be held based on the same three criteria. It should elect two bodies from its members. First is the legislative body, or you can call it the transitional Parliament, and the interim of the transitional government. Next, the legislative council should assign members through election or selection to a constitutional drafting committee. Then, there should be a referendum for the Syrian people to vote on this constitution. The referendum has to be held in a neutral and safe environment – achieving this is the mission of the transitional government. After approving the constitution, there will be free and fair elections – either to elect the president or the Parliament. This is the Syrian national coalition’s vision for the transitional period,” al-Bahra continued.
Another point of discussion is how those attending the national conference will be represented, al-Bahra said. Accordingly, some argue that the invitation should be for individuals, not political party members or members of any social group. Others argue that parties, trade unions and civil society should be represented as organizations. “The issue is not resolved fully,” he pointed out.
‘No rush’
When asked about the timeline for the process, al-Bahra underlined that work for a constitution had been going on for years and that Syria would not start from zero. “A national dialogue among communities, trade unions, civil society and local municipalities has been going on for years, so they achieved some consensus on many points.” There is consensus, for example, that the official language of Syria is Arabic, al-Bahra said. However, in areas with a majority group, they would have the right to teach their language in schools.
Other discussions will revolve around the official name of the country, whether it will be the Syrian Arab Republic or other forms seen in the past, such as the State of Syria or the Syrian Republic.
“We think that if there is organized work, we could have a draft constitution within a year. The part that will take time is adjusting the civil record and the census, as there has been none for 14 years. Also, you need to take this census inside Syria as well as outside Syria.”
Following the crackdown of the Assad regime, more than 14 million Syrians were forced to flee their homes. Most fled to neighboring countries, including Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.
Al-Bahra underlined that any Syrian, including those abroad, has the right to vote, but the government has to ensure who has the right to vote.
“If we start drafting the constitution and preparing the census in parallel, with the assistance of our friends and the U.N., this process may take three to four years. We do not see the need to hurry with the national conference. It is better to give it its time and do it correctly. At this time we are having a fresh start in Syria, we do not want to spoil it.”
Federal or decentralized system?
On whether a federal or decentralized system is envisioned, al-Bahra said: “It will be the Syrian people who decide it. But according to our past discussions, the majority of the citizens see Syria as one country with a central government, but they see wider authority at the administrative level in each province. For example, in choosing their mayor, as in the past the regime used to assign them, or having their own budgets.”
The local administration system in Syria was traditionally composed of 14 governorates. Yet during the civil war, the country split under several local dynamics, such as opposition-held areas in the northwest and the PKK/YPG-controlled areas in the northeast. The country also consists of several minority groups, including Alawites, Sunnis, Christians, Kurds, Druze and Armenians, among others.
Foreign fighters to leave
Another issue is the question of foreign fighters in Syria. “We asked all the armed groups of the opposition to dissolve and be part of the national army. What we expect is the YPG to dissolve and take part in the Syrian army, not as a separate force. We do not want it to be a source of terrorism to the region or inside Syria. We also do not want other countries’ problems to be brought into Syria. For example, the PKK is not a Syrian problem. Why should the country host PKK forces? All foreign fighters need to return to their countries. These fighters did not fight for the freedom of the Syrian people but for their own political agenda.”
“This question is also part of the discussion of the new constitution. Who has the right to get citizenship? The citizenship law must be drafted by the legislative council, after which it can be decided whether to give foreign fighters permanent residence and citizenship rights. Should they be permitted into state positions/the army or not? In the current constitution, a citizen with dual nationality cannot hold a political position. Even a citizen married to a foreigner is subject to several limitations. According to the current laws, they (foreign fighters) are not allowed,” al-Bahra elaborated.
Al-Bahra also indicated that he did not expect Iranian militias to return to Syria, saying that Tehran’s absence made the current picture of a new Syria possible.
Main challenges
“If we look at all countries dealing with the same trouble, the number one cause of failure is non-inclusivity. If we leave someone outside the process, they will immediately become spoilers. The process has to have a clear road map and must be made clear to the Syrian people. They must be assured of their future and the international community must be assured that this country does not go into a new dictatorship or an extremist state,” he said.
“Then there comes security issues. First, we need to maintain civil peace, make sure we do not slide into sectarian war and hinder hate speech. Personal and property security of the people must be achieved as guarantees of livelihood such as food, electricity, heating, etc. We need job opportunities. Especially after disarming the regime army, here you have around 200,000 people. If you leave them without work, they may become extremists or someone can utilize them. Lastly, transitional justice is vital as there are many grievances. There is a pardoning process, a punishing process. If the people do not see justice, they will seek revenge. If we take care of all these points, we will have an increased chance of achieving a successful transition,” he stressed.