MSD member Dibo: We are ready for any kind of meeting to solve the Syrian crisis

MSD (Syrian Democratic Council) co-presidency Committee member Sihanok Dibo made evaluations of the developments in Syria and Northern and Eastern Syria regions and stated that necessary steps should be taken for a democratic solution to the Syrian problem before serious relations can be established between the Damascus government and the countries of the region.

Drawing attention to the armed groups withdrawing from Dera to Bab, Sihanok Dibo told ANHA that this was a way of bringing extremist groups together. “Will a new Taliban be created in the northern and western Syrian regions?”

Sihanok Dibo said that “Syria will not go back to the process before 2011. It can be governed by a decentralized administration,” but added that no practical steps have been taken so far. Dibo said that “decentralization is the general solution for Syria. This is a very forward-looking position. However, there are many forms of decentralization that are formal, realistic, and that affect the level of government of a forward or backward country. The MSD also prioritizes decentralization and, at the same time, it assumes that each region can self-govern itself without adversely affecting the functions of the central government. Decentralization is a positive step. Local government is part of self-government, but does not replace self-government.”

Dibo said that practically no meetings have been held between the Damascus government and them until now, and added: “We are ready for meetings now as we were before. For a real dialogue to take place, there needs to be a guarantor that can bring the two sides together and take consistent steps.”

Dibo continued: “If these relations develop on the basis of international resolutions 2254, 2118 and the Geneva Declaration of 2012 and play a role in the resolution of the Syrian crisis, it will be a positive step. Anyone who wants to give legitimacy to the sovereign centralist government of Damascus will go through a crisis. Those building relationships are rapidly being blocked. Before establishing relations between the Damascus government and neighboring countries, steps should be taken towards a democratic solution to the Syrian crisis.”