Assyrian Democratic Organization ADO
11-05-2023
The Assyrian Democratic Organization ADO held its 14th conference on April 29 in Kamishli northeast Syria and issued the following statement:
Under the slogan “The Struggle for Constitutional Recognition of the National Existence and Identity of the Syriac-Assyrian People, and Democracy for Syria,” the Assyrian Democratic Organization held its fourteenth regular general conference on 4/29/2023, with wide participation of ADO Branch’s delegates and representatives of specialized offices, with a wide participation of women and youth from the homeland and the diaspora. With the commencement of the conference, the representative recalled, with high appreciation, the important role played by the former secretary of ADO, Daoud Daoud, where health reasons prevented him from completing his tenure, months before the conference.
After that, they discussed the reports of the Executive Office (political and organizational), followed by the reports of the Branchs and of the specialized Offices, which included a comprehensive review and evaluation in line with the current reality and the rapid developments that we are going through. Then the conference approved the political vision, organizational and political work-plan for the next stage, and also adopted the recommendations submitted by the delegates in order to enhance the organization’s status and improving its performance, on both national and international levels.
The conference culminated by electing the new members of the General Secretariat in a democratic manner, and in accordance with the by-laws and procedures of the ADO. Then they elected new members of the General Secretariat elected Mr. Gabriel Moshe Kourieh director for the organization, and Mr. Bashir Saadi as his deputy, and also, elected new members of the executive committee; to lead the Assyrian Democratic Organization in the next four years.
The convening of the 14th General Conference of the Assyrian Democratic Organization came at a stage in which the Syrian issue is transiting through a state of stagnation and intractability, and is full of many challenges and menaces for our Assyrian people, and for our homeland, Syria, whose crises have deepened and the suffering of its people has doubled for more than twelve years. The conference, after careful review and evaluation of the organization’s policies and options, affirmed the ADO’s national and patriotic approach, and called for the continuation of serious work, in order to strengthen the relationship with the Assyrian parties and institutions, at home and abroad, with emphasis on developing mechanisms of joint action among them, and paying special attention to developing and activating the role of the Coordination and Consultation Committee of our Assyrian national parties in Syria, with the purpose of protecting and consolidating the presence of our people in the homeland, and achieving their legitimate national rights.
At the national level, the conference stressed to continue the active role of the ADO within the frameworks of the National Opposition, and strengthening the role and status of the Peace and Freedom Front, as well as, strengthening the relations with the parties of the Kurdish National Movement, and opening up to all national and democratic forces in Syria; and working together to achieve a democratic transition in the country, building a secular democratic system based on the foundations of justice, equality, partnership, respect for human rights, and the constitutional guarantees of the rights of all nationalities, including the rights of the Assyrians, within the framework of united Syria’s, land and people.
The conference stressed that the Syrian predicament is in essence a political crisis that erupted due to the policies and practices of the totalitarian regime, and cannot be reduced to the humanitarian aspect only, despite its importance at this stage in terms of alleviating the suffering of the Syrian people. And sees that some regional and international attempts aiming at rapprochement with the regime by relying on the human dimension only, without addressing the underlying political issues of the Syrian crisis, will only serve to rehabilitate the regime with disregard to the expectations and sacrifices of the Syrians, considering positively some Arab initiatives that link the political settlement in Syria to international resolutions; the Assyrian Democratic Organization believes that it is not possible to reach a comprehensive solution and sustainable peace in Syria, without the implementation of UN Resolution 2254, which confirms the formation of a transitional governing body, with full powers, based on partnership between the opposition, the regime, and civil society organizations in order to achieve the political transition that the Syrians aspire to, and along side the adoption of a new constitution in which all components of the Syrian people participate in its drafting, followed by free elections under the supervision of the United Nations, with participation of the Syrian people abroad, in a way that paves the way for the voluntary and safe return of refugees and displaced persons to their areas of origin, provided that this is preceded by the implementation of confidence-building measures between all parties, and at the forefront of these measures is a comprehensive ceasefire, the introduction of humanitarian aid to all regions, the release of detainees, and the disclosure and the fate of the missing people, in order, for Syria and its people to enter a new democratic era, with manifest of recovery, peace and stability.
Assyrian Democratic Organization
General Secretariat
Syria 03/05/2023
