Syrian opposition coalition proposes 18-month power transfer

Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the Doha Forum (Qatar) on December 8, Mr. al-Bahra said that Syria needs an 18-month power transition period to draft a constitution, shape election regulations and a new political system.

Accordingly, Mr. al-Bahra said that Syria should present a draft constitution within 6 months and the first election will be held in the form of a referendum.

“The constitution will also determine whether the country will follow a parliamentary, presidential or mixed system. Based on this, we will hold elections and the people will choose their leaders,” al-Bahra stressed.

The SNC chairman also added that the opposition coalition has asked current Syrian government employees to continue working until the transfer of power is completed, while ensuring that they will not be harmed.

The Syrian National Coalition (SNC) is a coalition of opposition groups in Syria and represents the opposition in international political and diplomatic activities. The SNC was established in 2012 in the capital Doha (Qatar), with the goal of promoting opposition activities to overthrow the government of President Bashar al-Assad. This organization is recognized by a number of Western countries as the "legitimate representative" of the Syrian people.

Mr. Hadi al-Bahra said that the rapid developments in Syria were a result of the fact that Mr. al-Assad's allies such as Russia, Iran or Hezbollah had their own problems, thereby creating a "domino effect" in Syria, when the government lacked the support of its allies.

“I feel relieved that Mr al-Assad is gone but also a little sad because he should be held responsible for the problems he caused,” the SNC chairman said.

The opposition coalition also said it was working to transfer power to a transitional governing body with full executive powers, emphasizing its desire to build strategic partnerships with countries in the region and around the world.