Syrian opposition figures resign one day before Riyadh talks

CAIRO – 21 November 2017: Riad Hijab, head of the main Syrian opposition bloc, announced on Monday his resignation from the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) after nearly a two-year term.

"I find myself today forced to announce my resignation from the High Negotiations Committee, wishing them further achievements, and wishing for my beloved country Syria peace, security, and stability," said Hijab.

Hijab tweeted his full official resignation letter, stating the end of his duties since he began to lead the HNC in 2015, without providing specific reasons.

Hijab was serving as Syria's Prime Minister when he defected in 2012 and took charge of the opposition HNC when it was formed in Saudi Arabia in December 2015.

Immediately after Hijab's resignation, nine HNC officials, including Suheir Atassi and Riad Naassan Agha announced they were withdrawing from the body.

Representatives from the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), the Russia and Cairo platforms, in addition to other independent figures discussed on Monday a final draft statement needed to ensure the success of three-day opposition talks that will kick off in Riyadh on Wednesday.

Syria’s opposition body representatives, amounting to over 140 representatives from political parties, factions as well as independents, will take part in a general summit on Friday.

The Syrian opposition meeting in Riyadh will take place ahead of the UN-sponsored talks in Geneva on November 28.

Russia said on Tuesday that the resignation of “radically minded” Syrian opposition figures such as Riyad Hijab would help unite the disparate opponents of President Bashar al-Assad around a more “realistic” platform.

There are suggestions, circulated in news reports, that the upcoming Geneva talks include direct dialogue between the Syrian regime and opposition in order to launch a constitutional reform, and that the Sochi meeting be held between December 2 and 4, followed by another round of Geneva talks on December 8.

Meanwhile, Ankara insists that the Kurdish Democratic Union is not be invited to any peace talks, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced during a tripartite meeting to discuss the situation in Syria with his Iranian and Russian counterparts, Mohammad Javad Zarif and Sergey Lavrov, in Antalya .