Founding of the “Watan Coalition”

A group of organizations, currents and independent personalities have come together to found the “Watan (nation) coalition”, with the objective of strengthening their commitment to the revolution of our Syrian people and taking part in overcoming the difficulties that it faces, through their participation in developing a political view of the revolution, and of filling the gap between the political forces and the popular movement, as well as strengthening civil peace …

They have agreed on the following points

1. The absolutely central objective of our revolution is the fall of the regime and the construction of a civil, democratic state, based on law, justice and citizenship for everyone, the state of all citizens, independently of their nationality, their gender or their religion.

2. The fall of the regime and the construction of the democratic state require the creation of the broadest possible alliance, including all layers of our people, its political currents and expressions, of which we are a component. We call on them all to form a bloc and to coordinate their actions.

3. The revolution of our Syrian people is a revolution for freedom and dignity, a revolution that must implement the demands of the people, namely the end of corruption, pillage, the failure of development and the violation of all the people’s political, economic and social rights. In other words, it objectively reflects the interest of all the classes and components of the Syrian people and expects all of them to join it, sooner or later.

4. The affirmation through clear constitutional principles of the rights of national minorities within the framework of the unity of Syria, its land and its people.

5. The peaceful character of the revolution is a value which is greater than the fiercely repressive regime and represents an effective strategy to confront it.

6. Although we are attached to the peaceful character of the revolution, we consider that splits within the army on the basis of moral and political principles, and the constitution of the “Free Syrian Army” are a result of the pressures on the armed forces through the repression of their brothers and their people, and we insist on the need for the engagement of this Army alongside the political leadership resulting from the forces of the revolution.

7. The affirmation of our attachment to having balanced relations with all the states of the region and the world, with the exception of Israel, including with states which today support the regime. We call on them to re-examine their position as of now, because their interests are related to those of the Syrian people which will certainly remain, and not to those of a transitory regime. We affirm that the building of these relations will reassert the total sovereignty of Syria and at the same time, it will put an end to the spilling of Syrian blood.

8. The affirmation that the liberation of our occupied territory and our support for the Palestinian people, which is fighting for its self-determination, cannot be the object of any kind of dealings in the conduct of our revolution.

9. We are more than ever determined to achieve the goals of the revolution by counting on the forces of the amazing Syrian people itself and we put at the door of the regime the entire responsibility for the risk of foreign military intervention, insofar as it continues to take a strongly repressive option and refuses to listen to the demands of the Syrian people.

10. We, the “Watan Coalition”, like other forces, political currents and organizations of civil society, seek to build different levels of coordination in our orientations and our activities, according to the demands of the situation, starting with common sectoral and political steps forward, in order to finally open up to ourselves the broadest prospects in terms of co-operation, collaboration and unity, leaving the door open to the participation of all individuals, forces and groups which support the revolution.
Eternal glory to our innocent martyrs. Freedom for our prisoners. Treatment for our wounded. Victory of the people’s will.

Damascus, February 13, 2012.

This interview appeared in Tout est ànous! (weekly of the New Anti-capitalist Party, NPA), no. 137, February 2 3, 2012.