The Assyrian Democratic Organization
Damascus (Syria):
In this most critical phase of the history of Syria and the region, and due to the worsening of the situation and acceleration of events in a way the country had never seen before, and because of the regime’s cold-war mentality while the people are at the core of the crisis, the signatories to this statement and in their constant endeavor to promote the desired values and measures of democracy, secularism and human rights are demanding the following:
1- On the subjective level:
To take immediate, responsible and serious action to create fundamental mechanisms for their work on both theoretical and practical levels, paving the way for a new democratic political opposition in Syria, independent of any forms of sectarianism, religious fundamentalism and ideology. They are equally demanded today, to unify their force and efforts.
2-On the objective level:
These organizations reaffirm their constant demand for the importance of building bridges of mutual confidence between the authority and the people, within a framework of democratic openness, free from vindictive and exclusionist policies, based on fulfillment of democratic demands, general freedoms and respect for human rights including:
Issuance of a modern law for political parties and organizations, lifting the state of emergency, release of political detainees, return of the exiles with appropriate legal guarantees, giving minorities the rights including the restoration of citizenship to those Syrian Kurds stripped or deprived of it, in addition to other democratic demands.
3-At the same time, we see the importance of taking immediate action to create a conducive political atmosphere for issuing a new electoral law that would pave the way for the real representatives of the people to the parliament, as it is obvious to everyone, the current legislative institution does not really represent the will of people.
4-Based on our firm stand on the widespread corruption in the country, we demand the immediate opening of the corruption file across the country, followed by the necessary investigations and pursuing of all the corrupted officials, regardless of their political or legal immunity.
5-Concerning the much demanded democratic reforms on all levels (political, cultural, economic and social) we confirm, that the will to change should emanate from the internal needs of the Syrian society, based on the internal forces and potentials of the people in participation with all the components of the civil society including parties, other forces and organizations standing in equal status. Regardless of their position (inside or outside the authority), these forces are truly interested in the democratic change and oppose those corruptive elements who have done great damage to the country and are not interested in its well-being.
These pressing, fundamental demands are urgent ones. If realized, these demands may take the country out of the bottleneck, and a crisis that is currently raging the homeland and the people, and would put it on the right track to achieve the much desired democratic changes.
– Damascus 11/01/2006
Signatories to the statement:
– Assyrian democratic organization (ADO)
– Al-Nahda national democratic party
– Al-Sham center for democratic studies and human rights
– Syrian national social party
– liberal democrats party
– Syrian democratic party
– Liberal democratic secular association (ADEL)
– Activists without boundaries a follow-up committee in the affairs of detainees and exiles and those stripped of their nationalities
– Al-Suriyoun Site
