Syrian migrants- A.F.P

Istanbul-The National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces in an uncontested election on March 5th elected Anas al-A’bda as the new coalition’s President. Al-A’abdah will be succeeding Khaled Khoja who had his term come to an end. Moreover, al-A’bdah was elected during a meeting in Istanbul with a majority of 63 votes and no competitor.

In an issued statement, the coalition announced that the members of its general committee have reached the official election of al-A’bdah on March 5th during their sessions which have been running since last February. Deputies to the newly elected al-A’bdah include each of Mowafaq Nyrbyeh, Abed al-Hakeem Bashar, and Sameera Mosalema. The Secretary General that will be joining al-A’bdah in directing the coalition is Abed al Ilah Fahed. The coalition carried on with their meeting until last Saturday in which they elected another 19 members for the political committee.
Al-A’bda outlined the upcoming framework for the coalition, stressing out on the necessity of teamwork as to benefit from challenges and turn them into opportunities.

Al-A’bda in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat said that many challenges lie ahead of the coalition. He also emphasized on the coalition working work a harmonious approach and that the coalition’s mission is zeroed in on the “restoration of Syrian nationalism and keeping Syria a unified country”.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Adel al-Jubeir said that the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has to renounce authority at the beginning of the transitional phase and not at its end. Al-Jubeir rejected that Assad stays in authority for the 18 months extended term which is supposed according to the Munich agreement and the U.N. resolution 2254 to end with elections.

Pointing out Riyadh’s decisive and final stance, FM al-Jubeir confirmed a group of reporters in France that Saudi Arabia’s vision is clear. Al-Jubeir had already, on multiple occasions, said that Assad has to leave either peacefully or with military means.