The Syrian transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has issued a decision naming the members of the preparatory committee for the National Dialogue Conference scheduled to be held in Damascus soon.
According to the decision issued today, Wednesday, February 12, al-Sharaa has tasked each of the following individuals with membership in the preparatory committee for the National Dialogue Conference: Hassan al-Daghim, Maher Alloush, Mohammed Mastat, Mustafa al-Mousa, Yousef al-Hajr, Hind Kabawat, and Houda Atassi.
The newly formed committee will establish its internal regulations and set operational standards to ensure the success of the national dialogue, and its work will conclude once the final statement of the anticipated conference is issued.
Committee members
Hassan al-Daghim previously held the position of Director of Moral Guidance in the Syrian National Army (SNA), while Maher Alloush, a Syrian writer and researcher, had a past role as a mediator in resolving disputes within the Ahrar al-Sham Islamic Movement.
Mohammed Mastat previously served as the head of the relations office in the Sham Legion faction; he holds a diploma in political science and has worked as a trainer in human resource development and leadership building at Aleppo University.
Meanwhile, Yousef al-Hajr served as the director of the political office in Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and was responsible for the political file in the Shura Council in Idlib. Mustafa al-Mousa was a member of the HTS and was elected as the head of the Shura Council, and he previously held the position of head of the health committee in the Syrian Salvation Government (SSG).
Among the women included in the committee is Hind Kabawat, an assistant professor and head of the Department of Interfaith Dialogue and Conflict Resolution at the George Mason University Religion and Diplomacy Institute. She is also president of the “Tastakel” organization, which focuses on women’s empowerment, and previously served as the deputy head of the Negotiation Commission in Geneva from 2017 to 2022.
Houda Atassi is seen as an activist in humanitarian and relief work; she currently serves as the regional director of the International Humanitarian Relief Agency and is a member of the Board of Directors for both the Civil Society Organizations Forum and the Voices for Displaced Syrians organization.
Part of a series of steps
On January 30, the transitional Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, addressed the steps of the political process in Syria during the transitional phase leading up to the elections.
At that time, al-Sharaa stated that he would announce the preparatory committee for the National Dialogue Conference, which “will be a direct platform for deliberations, consultations, and listening to various viewpoints regarding our upcoming political program.”
There will also be efforts to form an inclusive transitional government that represents Syria’s diversity with its men, women, and youth and works on establishing new Syrian institutions until reaching a stage of free and fair elections.
An announcement is expected regarding the formation of a preparatory committee to select a small legislative council to fill the gap in the transitional phase, based on “its mandate for its current tasks” and the decision to dissolve the People’s Assembly.
After completing the aforementioned steps, the constitutional declaration will be announced as the legal reference for the transitional phase.