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Ribal Al-Assad criticises UK Government's decision to recognise Syrian National Coalition as sole legitimate representative of Syrian people

Thursday, 22 November 2012

UK recognises Syrian opposition group

The Financial Times

20 November 2012

William Hague, Britain’s foreign secretary, said on Tuesday that the UK was joining France in recognising the new National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

Britain had last week appeared reluctant immediately to recognise the council, which was formed at a meeting in Doha earlier this month. British officials had talked about the council needing to fulfil a number of tests – including setting out a vision for Syria and a commitment to human rights – before taking this step.

Conflicting rebel statements released in the past few days have highlighted the difficulty the coalition faces in establishing authority over the fragmented armed opposition.

Commenting on the story, Ribal Al-Assad, Director of the ODFS, said:

"I am confused and disappointed by the UK Government's decision to recognise the new National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. The Coalition clearly is not the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people as it excludes major opposition groups such as the National Coordination Committee (NCC), the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), the Syrian National Democratic Council (SNDC), Building the Syrian State and many other groups from the internal opposition in Syria. So by definition the Coalition does not represent or speak for every segment and every geographic part of Syria. Therefore it is not a credible opposition or government in waiting. It must also be noted that one third of this coalition is made up of the discredited SNC.

"I commend Mr Hague for pressing the leadership of the new Syrian National Coalition on the need to be inclusive and to respect human rights. However in light of the fact that they are not a genuinely inclusive group that represents the Syrian people because other major opposition groups are excluded, how does the UK Government deem them to be inclusive? Furthermore does the UK Government really think that all the Syrian people would accept an Islamist Preacher to lead them?

"I call on the EU and the US to bring together all the Syrian opposition groups onto one platform so it is genuinely inclusive opposition and to work towards a diplomatic solution based on the principles of the Kofi Annan Plan, which are to de-escalate the violence and have a ceasefire leading to a peaceful Syrian led transition."

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