The Popular Front for Change and Liberation (Arabic: الجبهة الشعبية للتحرير والتغيير, al-Jabha aš-š‘abiyya li'l-taghayyir wa'l-taḥrīr) is a coalition of Syrian political parties. It briefly participated as the leader of the official political opposition within the People's Council of Syria, the state's unicameral parliament.[1] Following Assad regime's decision to conduct the 2016 parliamentary elections during the Geneva talks, the front withdrew its participation.[2]
Popular Front for Change and Liberation الجبهة الشعبية للتحرير والتغيير | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President | Qadri Jamil |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Damascus |
| Ideology | Democratic socialism Secularism Factions: Communism |
| Political position | Left-wing to Far-left |
| People's Council | 0 / 250
|
History and profile
editThe front was established in August 2011.[3] Coalition leader Qadri Jamil stated that there had been numerous violations in favor of their opponent, the National Progressive Front, in the 2012 parliamentary election.[4] The Popular Front for Change and Liberation brought together Jamil's People’s Will Party, Ali Haidar's Syrian Social Nationalist Party – Intifada, and others.[5][6]
They have criticized the ruling party on occasion, particularly after the 2012 parliamentary election, when Qadri Jamil questioned the transparency of the vote and considered giving up his seat depending on the government's response, and a member of the SSNP complained about the Ba'ath party's domination of parliament.[3]
Leader of the SSNP-Intifada Ali Haidar announced on 6 May 2014 that his party was withdrawing from the Popular Front for Change and Liberation over a difference in positions towards the 2014 presidential election. The SSNP supported the re-election of Bashar al-Assad.[7]
On 10 August 2014, the remaining Popular Front signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change in Syria, calling for ″comprehensive grassroots change, which means the transition from the current authoritarian regime to a democratic pluralistic system within a democratic civil State based on the principle of equal citizenship to all Syrians regardless of their ethnic, religious and sectarian identities.″[8]
Following Assad regime's decision to organize parliamentary elections in 2016 without upholding its previous pledges to seek constitutional amendments and political negotiations, PFCL withdrew its participation from the Syrian parliament and joined the rest of Syrian opposition. The elections were widely perceived as a hardening of government stance and part of its attempts scuttle the Geneva framework.[9]
References
edit- ^ Why reforming Syria's public institutions is the 11th Five-Year Plan's top priority. Archived 2013-01-04 at archive.today, Syria Today, January 2011
- ^ Szmolk, Inmaculada (2017). Political Change in the Middle East and North Africa: After the Arab Spring. Edinburgh, United Kingdom: Edinburgh University Press. pp. 415–416. ISBN 978-1-4744-1528 6.
- ^ a b Elizabeth O'Bagy (7 June 2012). "Syria's Political Struggle: Spring 2012" (Backgrounder). ISW. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
- ^ Syrian candidate says parliamentary elections marred with violations, Xinhua, 9 May 2012
- ^ Syrian Parliamentary Elections: Cynicism Wins the Day Archived 2012-08-11 at the Wayback Machine, Al Akhbar (Lebanon), 7 May 2012
- ^ "Assad says Syria 'able' to get out of crisis". Al Jazeera. 25 May 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
- ^ "SSNP Supports Bashar al-Assad's Presidential Nomination". 7 May 2014. Archived from the original on 3 November 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
- ^ "Memorandum of Understanding between the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change in Syria – NCB and the Change and Liberation Front". 11 August 2014. Archived from the original on 3 November 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
- ^ Szmolk, Inmaculada (2017). Political Change in the Middle East and North Africa: After the Arab Spring. Edinburgh, United Kingdom: Edinburgh University Press. pp. 415–416. ISBN 978-1-4744-1528 6.