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Petition Urges Emergency Law Suspension, Syrian Democratic Elections
DAMASCUS (News Agencies) - A member of the Syrian parliament Thursday released a petition of nearly 1,000 signatures calling for the suspension of emergency rule, release of political prisoners, and the holding of democratic elections.
"Political reform is necessary to emerge from stagnation and bring the administration out of its paralysis," said the statement from the office of deputy Riad Seif, one of the signatories.
The text sets out a list of demands, including "necessary moves towards reform which can no longer be put off."
Among the demands listed are "the end of the use of emergency rule [martial law in force since the Baath party came to power in 1963], abolition of the special courts…and release of political prisoners."
The petition calls for "democratic freedoms, including freedom of opinion, expression and publication" and "a democratic law" governing the formation and operation of parties and unions.
It also calls for "a democratic law on elections, placing the electoral process under the supervision of the courts, to organize elections at every level."
The statement says the signatories will join together in "committees to revive civil society ... in the hope of taking a decisive step towards a democratic society."
According to Seif's office, most of the signatories are intellectuals, and they include philosophy professor Sadeq Jalal al-Azm, economist Aref Dalila, writer Michel Kilo, and filmmaker Nabil al-Maleh.
It is the second petition calling for greater freedom since Bashar al-Assad took over the presidency in July after the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad.
An open letter to the president, who has approved gradual liberalization, but mainly in the economy, was signed in September by 99 intellectuals, calling for the establishment of the rule of law.
The release of the statement follows a seminar late Wednesday at Seif's home, at which a Syrian academic called for freedom of expression, saying it was essential for development.
"One cannot envisage development or social change without freedom of expression," Shebli Shami, a professor at the engineering faculty of Damascus University, said.
"Exercising the right to criticize is the highest level of participation in a free society," Shami said. "The persecution of writers has always been the central element of any repression."
He called for "freedom to publish, which is essential for good government."
"If we do not seek out corruption and injustice, we will be unable to forge a universal spirit which will produce a change for the better," he added.
Shami was addressing an audience of nearly 150 people, mainly academics.
Since September Seif has been organizing seminars and lectures at his home at Sehnaya, situated 15 kilometers (10 miles) south of Damascus.
He said that they were taking place every two weeks, in series according to a particular theme.
The third series, begun Wednesday, concerned rights, following lectures on "reviving civil society" and the economy.
Seif said they were not explicitly approved by the authorities but added, "I have had no problems."
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