Former leader of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) Moaz Alkhatib speaks during a meeting in Istanbul yesterday.
BEIRUT: Syria’s outgoing opposition chief published an initiative yesterday that would grant President Bashar Al Assad a safe exit, and urged dissident factions to adopt his plan.
Ahmed Moaz Al Khatib published his initiative on Facebook, as the main National Coalition he headed until March gathered in Istanbul to choose a new leader and discuss a US-Russian peace initiative dubbed Geneva 2.
Under his initiative, Assad would have 20 days from yesterday to give “his acceptance of a peaceful transition of authority”.
After accepting, Assad would have one month to hand over power to either Prime Minister Wael Al Halqi or Vice President Faruq Al Sharaa, who would then govern Syria for a transitional period of 100 days.
As part of the transition Al Khatib envisages, Assad would “leave the country along with five hundred people whom he will select, along with their families and children, to any other country that may choose to host them”.
This is the first time one of Syria’s opposition chiefs has made an offer of political immunity to Assad and key members of his regime.
Reuters
