A new intellectual forum in Damascus
Syria, Politics, 1/18/2001

The BBC correspondent in Damascus on Wednesday said that one of the Syrian intellectuals and activists " Jad al-Karim al-Jebaei" has called on the Syrian authority to maintain a dialogue with the opposition. He also called for maintaining a dialogue with all sides representing various social strata and multi political parties in the country.

At the inauguration of a new intellectual forum, that joined the track of other forums set up recently in Syria, which is given the name of Jamal al-Atasi, the politician who is considered one of the prominent political figures in Syria in the 1960s and one of the co-founders of the baath party from which he split to establish a democratic coalition forum which includes in its activities three parties that did not join the National Progressive Front which for its part includes main parties contributing together with the Baath party in ruling the country. Al-Atasi occupied the post of the secretary general of the Socialist federation party since 1964 until his death.

In his lecture al-Jebaei explained that reform is considered one of the most important titles of the current phase in Syria on which certain sides called development and renovation has not yet started in Syria despite the importance of the partial legislative measures released and the symbols they identify which helped in reviving some hopes, but, on the other hand raise fears because of the non- compliance between the ruling party ( the Baath party) and the participating parties ( parties of the national progressive front) especially towards the main option which will decide the content of the reform and its extent.

al-Jebaei accused the authority of monopolizing the power and the wealth as well " the nationalism" and reduced the level of citizenship to the level of the narrow party level and personal clinging and loyalty to certain sides, so as this power has become the owner of the state which by its turn owns the people and convert just to an identified group through self-imposed censorship media and " the revolutionary ideology."

Worthy mentioning Syria is currently witnessing several activities through intellectual and political forums and the human rights as well as the civil society committees. N.

Previous Stories:
  Syrian - Tunisian higher committee meets on January 21   (1/17/2001)
  On the civil socity and reform discussions in Syria   (1/17/2001)
  Efforts to revive the Syrian track   (1/17/2001)

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