The first session of the preparatory committee which will organise Syria’s forthcoming National Dialogue Conference ended on Sunday in the central city of Homs.
Around 400 people took part in the preparatory session, according to The New Arab’s sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
The session focused on six key areas – transitional justice, drafting a constitution, institutional reform, freedoms and political life, the role of civil society groups, and economic organisation, Samer Suleiman, a journalist who attended it, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
Suleiman said that the discussion was open and the committee acted as listeners, taking notes. He said that he received an invitation only the day before and did not know how the attendees were selected.
However, he added that they represented Syria’s various religious sects, including Christians, Shia, and Alawis as well as members of the Sunni majority.
Maher Al-Louesh, the head of the National Dialogue Committee, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the session was taking place at a pivotal moment in Syrian history.
“This dialogue aims to listen to the opinions and suggestions of citizens on the national issues at hand, to transform them into working groups during the conference, ensuring real interaction among various segments of society and reflecting their will,” he said.
Al-Louesh added that the dialogue conference was giving Syrians the chance to engage in open political dialogue with each other for the first time, after decades of dictatorship.
Syrians, he said, were now being given “an active role in decision-making and in shaping their future.”
“Today, we are facing a real opportunity to take on our national responsibilities and outline the features of the coming stage.
“Our dream is to build a strong state where every citizen feels pride and dignity, a state based on the principles of justice, freedom, and equality—values for which Syrians have sacrificed greatly,” he added.
Some Syrians however, have criticised the National Dialogue Conference.
Rami Jarrah, a Syrian journalist and activist, said in a Facebook post that the committee organising it had no power and could only give “recommendations” to the presidency, without decision-making authority, citing an interview with Hassan al-Dughaim, one of the seven members of the committee.
No official date has been set for the National Dialogue Conference, the preparatory committee was formed on February 12, after a decree setting it up was issued by interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa.
