Syrian president in the transitional period Ahmed al-Sharaa expressed the state’s readiness to listen to the various popular demands raised by demonstrators in different parts of Syria and to discuss them seriously, noting that proposals related to secession or federalism often stem from “narrow readings or a lack of political awareness”.
Al-Sharaa’s remarks came in a video call during a meeting held by Latakia governor Mohammed Othman with notables and neighborhood committees to strengthen civil peace and consolidate community communication, on Thursday, 27 November.
On 25 November, cities and rural areas in the provinces of Latakia and Tartus on Syria’s coast, as well as areas in the western countryside of Hama province and the al-Ghab Plain (west central Syria), witnessed demonstrations in main squares calling for “an end to the killings and for federalism”, in addition to demands to release detainees arrested after the fall of the former regime.
Federalism similar to local administration law
In his participation in the meeting, al-Sharaa said, “Over the past two days, we have witnessed many legitimate popular demands, but some of them were politicized if we want to call things by their names”, pointing to “the state’s full readiness to listen to the various demands and discuss them seriously”.
Al-Sharaa considered the Syrian coast one of “the top national priorities at the present stage”, given its vital location on international trade routes and its role in strengthening economic connectivity between Syria and countries in the region.
The Syrian president pointed out that the coast possesses all the elements that reflect the cohesion of Syrian society and affirm the strength of national unity, and that its social and sectarian diversity is an enrichment for the Syrian state, not “a subject for debate or controversy”.
According to al-Sharaa, proposals related to secession or federalism generally stem from “narrow readings or a lack of political awareness”, because even federal states have strong central authorities in their sovereign institutions, such as defense, security, foreign affairs and the economy, which are institutions that cannot be fragmented, as he put it.
He added that “even the concept of federalism, which some are putting forward, does not differ in substance from the local administration framework in force in Syria, particularly Law No. 107 issued more than ten years ago, which in practice already incorporates many of the concepts being proposed today, with the possibility of introducing amendments to it”.
Ending the state of division
Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa stressed the need to end the state of division that has been instilled in Syrians’ minds for more than sixty years, placing his hopes on the great awareness possessed by Syrians inside and outside the country and on “their deep-rooted love for their homeland, to build a stronger Syria and make it impervious to all attempts at partition”.
Al-Sharaa considered that the challenges facing the Syrian situation are “complex and require a great deal of awareness and responsibility to achieve the paramount goal of a united and stable Syria”. On the economic front, he said there are no “fundamental fears”, but that time is needed to address outstanding problems.
“We now face two main tasks in the coming phase, protecting the country from internal and external threats, and achieving economic development,” he said.
Al-Sharaa went on to say that what brings Syrians together is “a single law that protects everyone”, pointing to “the state’s work to uphold the principle of participation and expand the contribution of different components in building the state”.
He added, “We have categorically rejected any formula of quota sharing or power-based polarization within state institutions and ministries, everyone is a partner, and everyone is responsible.”
Demonstrations
On 25 November, cities and rural areas in the provinces of Latakia and Tartus on the Syrian coast, as well as areas in the western countryside of Hama and the al-Ghab Plain (west central Syria), witnessed demonstrations in main squares and gathering points.
Protesters chanted slogans calling for an end to the killing and for “federalism”, in addition to demands to release detainees who were arrested after the fall of the former regime. They carried placards with demands and slogans such as “administrative decentralization”, “no to terrorism” and “no to uncontrolled weapons”.
The Syrian Interior Ministry said that Internal Security Forces units worked to secure the protest gatherings in the coastal region to prevent any incidents “that might be exploited by parties promoting chaos”, as it put it.
The demonstrations came in response to a call issued by Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal, head of what is known as the “Supreme Alawite Islamic Council in Syria and the Diaspora”, on Monday, 24 November.
The cities of Jabla and Qardaha in Latakia countryside, and Safita, Dreikish and Sheikh Badr and their surrounding rural areas in Tartus countryside (all in Syria’s coastal region), also witnessed sit-ins condemning the “killing of Alawites” and calling for “the right of human beings to live in safety and dignity”, according to the chants, along with demands to withdraw uncontrolled weapons held by some groups and restrict arms to the government, as they put it.
Spiral of instability
The Syrian Interior Ministry appealed to residents of the coast not to be drawn into what it called “schemes whose instigators want only to drag the region into a spiral of instability”.
Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba told the state-run al-Ikhbariya channel that “the Interior Ministry upholds everyone’s right to express their opinion, provided this expression remains under the umbrella of the law and without disturbing civil peace”.
He pointed out that “the parties promoting and marketing chaos in the coastal areas are all outside the country and disconnected from the living reality of the people of the coast”.
Al-Baba added, “The chanting of sectarian slogans in some gatherings shows the motive on which the call was based, and does not reflect the real demands our people on the coast are seeking.”
He continued that the Syrian state is the only guarantor of the demands of all segments of the Syrian people, and that these demands cannot be addressed through scenarios of chaos and calls whose aims “our people on the coast know very well”.
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