DOHA: The decision to renew expired passports of Syrian expatriates in Qatar has cost Syria’s opposition envoy his job.
Syria’s National Coalition has dismissed Nizar Al Haraki (pictured) as its ambassador in Doha, and announced the appointment of Nasar Abu Nabut as Charge d’Affaires of its ‘embassy’.
The coalition-run diplomatic mission had announced that it will renew the expired passports of Syrians in Qatar from January 29.
But days later, it ordered the renewals stopped on legal grounds as it was not internationally and legally permissible.
A fact-finding committee was set up by the head of the coalition to look into the passport renewal initiative by the embassy and submit its findings.
However, the Political Commission of the Syrian National Coalition yesterday dismissed Al Haraki, in what observers see is a climax of the tussle between both sides.
In a brief communication addressed to Al Haraki, the head of the Syrian National Coalition, Khaled Khoja, said he was being fired as their envoy to Qatar.
“At its meeting on February 3, the Political Commission of the Coalition decided to end your services as their ambassador to Qatar,” said the letter.
“Referring to the decision of the General Authority for the Coalition that met on February 3, 2015, we would like to inform you that your services as ambassador of the Syrian National Coalition to Qatar is being ended,” Khoja said in the signed letter.
In his response, Al Haraki described his ouster as unfair and dubbed Khoja a judge and an executioner at the same time. Pointing to the row over the decision to renew the expired passports of Syrians in Qatar, Al Haraki said the committee was set up by Khoja and he was dismissed before the panel submitted its findings.
“Is it a personal vendetta you are seeking?” Al Haraki asked in his reply. Al Sharq, meanwhile, quoted observers as saying that there were political differences between Khoja and Al Haraki.
Khoja justified his action of dismissing Al Haraki by saying that he began renewing expired passports of Syrians in Qatar without waiting for a go-ahead from the coalition.
The Coalition was about to get temporary travel documents issued to overseas Syrians in need of passports, through the United Nations, as was done in the case of Iraqis abroad after 2003.
According to Khoja, a committee was set up for this purpose and Germany is hosting its meetings. “There is no political motivation behind the decision to dismiss Al Haraki,” he said.
It was an administrative decision as the Coalition had asked him to stop passport renewal and wait to get approval for it from countries across the world but he didn’t listen.
Passport renewal was stopped because the stamp that was being put on the expired passports was different from the one used by the issuing authority, which was the Syrian regime.
Those passports would have been considered forged, which is why the renewal process was stopped.
The Coalition tried to seek approval for the passport renewal decision from the Arab League and friendly countries but Al Haraki acted in haste, Khoja said.
THE PENINSULA
