Riyadh Seif closes his Forum
Syria, Politics, 3/22/2001

The independent Syrian member of Parliament Riad Seif has announced closure of his forum ( the national dialogue forum) in line with the " directives of the political leadership."

He said in a statement he circulated on Wednesday in damascus " due to our care to abide by the directives of the political leadership, we have decided to close the national dialogue forum, but with our continued commitment to our demand to re-open it after getting an official licensing that permits it restoring back activity."

Seif earlier announced that his Forum was converted to a " guest house" that avails him as a member of parliament to meet with social and intellectual activists, after the security forces imposed on owners of the Forums certain measures and prior consent.

In his statement, Seif added " we received with regret the recent directives to close the forums and re-impose sanctions on any intellectual or political activities. A matter which harms the atmosphere of optimism prevailed among citizens." He, on the other hand stressed persistence to return back to practicing previous activities when the proper atmosphere is provided in order " to enrich a balanced dialogue that avails all taking part in the march of reforms which has become a drastic need for our present and future.

Meantime, the Syrian authorities permitted the Forum of Jamal Atassi which had started three months earlier to continue its seminars, apart from other forums to practice intellectual and cultural activities without set preconditions or prior consent except avoiding" provocation," as stated by one of the rapparateur of the forum's committees.

The spokesman for Attasi Forum Muhammad Omar Kirdas said that permitting al-Atassi forum falls in the course of " consensus proposals" at the Arab and national levels, despite differences at the " internal" level. He did not deny that this forum represents the " Naserites and their proposals." He added that the democratic national coalition will within month elect its secretary general which he expected to be the secretary general of the Arab Socialist federation Hassan Ismael Abdul Azeem.

Previous Stories:
  On the meeting of Syrian Baath party central committee; emergency laws   (3/14/2001)
  Al-Atasi Forum and the culture of fear   (3/13/2001)
  Riad Seif denies to be deprived from immunity   (3/3/2001)

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