ESISC: How the Caterpillar of the New Syrian Constitution Could Become a Butterfly

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The site of the European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center has published an article, which reports in some detail on the latest draft of the Syrian constitution presented by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during the Syrian peace talks held last February in Astana, Kazakhstan. This new version of the constitution was drafted by Russian experts on the grounds of more or less joint views held by both Syrian government and the opposition, and is aimed at accelerating "the process to end the war."

     (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/475469/Syria_Flag.jpg )

The text that consists of 85 articles recalls the fundamental principles on the rights of the citizens according to the ideas of freedom, democracy and division of power, and attempts to establish power-sharing between the rival factions. As the article notes, "the newly established equilibrium in the Syrian state is intended to appease the historically rooted rivalry between the Shiite Alawite minority ruling the country, the Sunni majority and the several communities in the country, notably the Turkmen, the Circassians, the Armenians and the Kurds."

The author of the article feels that despite considerable diplomatic efforts, which will be needed to persuade all the counterparts to accept a constitution that was created through international cooperation and doesn't fully satisfy neither faction, the document is remarkably thorough and "blows as a fresh breeze bearing hope for the future" in the war-torn country.  

SOURCE European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center (ESISC)