Participants in the Syrian opposition conference in Doha made significant progress on the issues to be discussed, leading to the start of the practical sessions of the conference, Asharq Al-Awsat reported on Tuesday.
“The Council is facing a lot of pressure to agree with political negotiations with the Syrian regime,” said Syrian National Council spokesman George Sabra.
“Many of the leaders have rejected this request,” he added.
“With 150 new members, consisting of 15% women and 33% of the active revolutionaries on the field, new blood has been injected the veins of the National Council,” one source of the SNC leaders said to Asharq Al-Awsat.
“Many advisory meetings are taking places at the sidelines of the conference, focusing on recognizing the upcoming phase and the issue of establishing a transitional government,” the source continued.
“The SNC evaluates all regional and international positions and has an open view to all opinions,” said Samir Nashar, a member of the SNC executive board.
“However, the opposition’s unity and accord must not be sacrificed for a political solution. The first condition is for Bashar Assad to step down,” he added.
“We do not agree with any solution presented by international parties based on negotiating with the regime because such talks are rejected prior to Assad stepping down from power,” Nashar concluded.