SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC MINISTRY OF INFORMATION

THE GOVERNMENT STATEMENT

For Executing the Political Program for Solving the Crisis Based upon the instructions of Mr. President of the Syrian Arab Republic to the Government to formulate the mechanisms and executive steps of the Political Program for solving the crisis in Syria, the Council of Ministers, in its two specific sessions dated 8 & 9 January 2013, states the following:

1) Ratifying the Political Program for solving the crisis in Syria (enclosed with this statement) which clarifies the tasks the Syrian Government is seeking to accomplish till adopting the National Covenant by the people, after agreeing upon it in the National Dialogue Conference, in a way guaranteeing stress upon political multiplicity and the basic principles related to the sovereignty of Syria, its unity, integrity of its lands, the unity of its people, denial of external interference and rejecting violence and terror of all forms.

2) Forming a ministerial work team under the presidency of the Prime

Minister and membership of:

 Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs;

 Minister of Transportation;

 Minister of Information;

 Minister of Industry;

 Minister of Justice;

 Minister of State for National Reconciliation Affairs;

 Minister of State for Red Crescent Affairs;

 Minister of State for People Assembly Affairs;

For implementing the tasks to be incumbent upon this Government in the enclosed Political Program.

3) Calling the regional and international states and bodies connected with the armed groups to cease financing, arming and sheltering them, and calling these armed groups to abide by immediate cease of violence of all forms for preventing bloodshed and safeguarding the homeland and its unity, sovereignty and independence, a matter facilitating the return of Syrians who have left because of such events to their original residence places; as soon as such armed groups and their supporters observe ceasing violence and all military supply operations, the military operations on the territories of the Syrian Arab Republic would come to an end, while the army and the armed forces reserve the right to defend themselves, the citizens and the public and private properties.

4) Calling the international society, with all its bodies, organizations and states, to support the political solution of the crisis in Syria, to combat terror of all forms, and to abide by implementing the related UN resolutions, including banning exporting arms to the terrorist groups and stop their financial, political and informative support.

5) Entrusting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Expatriates to carry out regional and international contacts for demonstrating this initiative, calling for its support and making consultations about the mechanism that could be applied for monitoring the implementation of the above-mentioned points, control of borders in particular, especially as the initiative has been based upon the principles and objectives of the UN Charter, the International Law and Geneva Declaration dated 30.06.2012.

6) Entrusting the specialized governmental committees to convene intensive meetings for speeding up the implementation of the necessary succor plans with a view to treating the consequences of events, especially repair of defects resulting from terrorist sabotage operations of utilities and rehabilitating infrastructures in energy, water and other sectors, securing consumer supplies, combating monopoly, controlling economic status and making decisions concerning the claims of people damaged by events and compensating them, as well as dealing with situations of those displaced inside and outside.

7) Entrusting the Supreme Relief Committee to provide humanitarian aids and facilitating their reach to eligible people in cooperation with local activity groups, civil society organizations and the concerned international organizations inside and outside Syria.

8) Entrusting the Ministry of State for National Reconciliation Affairs to provide support for the national initiatives launched in some provinces and circulating them over other provinces of the country.

9) Entrusting the Ministry of Justice to cooperate with other concerned bodies for taking the necessary actions for speeding up referral to the 4judiciary and taking decisions in suitcases under hearing due to the current events, setting free persons whose incrimination has not been proved and settling the situations of anybody handing in his weapon to the concerned bodies and not pursuing him due to that.

10) Calling the National Opposition inside and outside, all political parties, leaderships and trends and other Syrian society components to start open dialogues with a view to making preparations, along with the governmental team, for holding a National Dialogue Conference, after providing sufficient guarantees for persons wishing to enter into, stay in and leave the country without pursuit or detention.

11) Carrying out everything necessary for holding the National Dialogue Conference with a view to formulating the National Covenant pinpointing the landmarks of the constitutional and judicial system, and the political and economic features of the state.

12) As soon as the National Covenant is sanctioned by the people through a general referendum, the existing government's mission would come to an end, and an expanded government with wide executive powers would be formed, as per the constitution rules, representing the Syrian society components and entrusted with the task of forming a constituent assembly for drawing up a new draft constitution in implementation of what has been agreed upon in National Dialogue Conference, and then such a draft constitution would be put forth for people referendum for approval. Then the government would sanction laws agreed upon in the conference for completing issuing them in accordance with the new constitution; perform parliamentary elections based upon the new election law, followed by forming a new government, convening the National Reconciliation Conference and issuing a general amnesty for crimes committed during the events while preserving civil rights of the related persons. The Government calls the great people of Syria with all its components to support this program and to earnestly participate in implementing it to save the homeland, protect its capabilities and guard it against encompassing dangers.

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The Political Program for Solving the Crisis

Starting from the principles and objectives of the UN Charter, the International Law, the related UN resolutions and the Geneva Declaration issued on 30.06.2012 ascertaining the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the states and non-interference in their internal affairs, and believing in the necessity of dialogue among the Syrian people under the leadership of Syria, and for drawing up the political future of the democratic Syria on the basis of political multiplicity, and with a view to creating a safe and stable climate based upon ceasing all forms of violence, the Political Program for solving the crisis in Syria will be as follows:

Firstly- The Preparatory Stage:

1. The abidance of all territorial and international states and parties by stopping financing, arming and providing refuge for the armed groups;

2. The abidance of all armed groups by immediately ceasing all forms of violence;

3. The abidance of the army and the armed forces by ceasing military operations except in cases of defending themselves, citizens and public and private properties;

4. Finding a mechanism ensuring the abidance of parties by ceasing violence and control of borders;

5. Facilitating the reach of humanitarian aids to those deserving them;

6. Starting rehabilitating infrastructures and paying compensations to damaged citizens;

7. Providing the necessary guarantees for the Syrian citizens who have left because of the events, and facilitating their return through the border inlets;

8. Providing guarantees for all Syrian opposition movements to enter, stay and leave the country without pursuing or detaining them for the purpose of participating in the national dialogue;6

9. Entrusting the Ministry of Justice to cooperate with other concerned bodies for taking the necessary actions for speeding up referral to the judiciary and taking decisions in suitcases under hearing due to the current events, setting free persons whose incrimination has not been proved and settling the situations of anybody handing in his weapon to the concerned bodies and not pursuing him due to that;

10. Carrying out extensive contacts by the Government with the national opposition, parties, all political powers and civil society bodies, including social, religious and economic bodies, to immediately start open dialogues for holding the comprehensive National Dialogue Conference.

Secondly- The Transitional Stage, starting after finishing the Preparatory Stage.

This includes the following:

1. The Government calls for holding a comprehensive National Dialogue Conference aiming at drawing up a National Covenant based upon the following:

a. Adherence to the sovereignty of Syria, and the unity and integrity

of its lands and people;

b. Denial of all forms of external interference in the Syrian affairs;

c. Rejection of all forms of violence and terror;

d. Drawing up the political future of the democratic Syria and agreeing upon the constitutional and judicial system and the political and economic features on the basis of the political multiplicity and the rule of law, adhering to the civil status of the state, ascertaining equality among citizens irrespective of race, religion and ethnics, freedom of opinion, respect of human rights, combating corruption, developing administration, agreeing upon new laws for parties, elections, local administration and information, and other matters to be agreed upon in the conference.

2. Putting the National Covenant before people referendum for approval.

3. Forming an expanded government with wide executive powers, as per the constitution rules, representing the Syrian society components and entrusted with the task of forming a constituent assembly for drawing up a new draft constitution in implementation of what has been agreed upon in National Dialogue Conference about the constitutional and judicial system and the political and economic features of the renovated Syria.

4. When the constituent assembly finishes its work, the draft constitution would be put forth for referendum to be approved by the people.

5. After accrediting the constitution, such an extensive government would adopt the laws agreed upon in the Dialogue Conference as a preliminary step toward issuing them as per the new constitution.

6. Performing the parliamentary elections based upon the new election law and in accordance with the constitution rules.

Thirdly- The Third Stage:

1. The new government is to be formed in accordance with the new  constitution.

2. The National Reconciliation Conference is to be convened with a view to restoring firm bonds among Syrian citizens starting from the nationalistic

and ethical concepts that have characterized the Syrian citizen.

3. Issuing a general amnesty for crimes committed during the events, setting free detainees and stopping pursuing any citizen as a result of those

events, while preserving civil rights of the related persons.

4. Completing and speeding up works of rehabilitating infrastructures, rebuilding and compensating citizens damaged by these events.