The Movement for Justice and Development enjoys warm relations with European institutions. MJD recently has held a series of meetings with leaders of the three main political blocs in the EU Parliament. The meetings were held with the Democrats, Socialists and Liberals, who together control 600 out of 784
seats. The MJD delegation also met with the Vice-President of the EU Parliament Edward MacMillan-Scott.
During the meetings a number of issues were discussed concerning the resolution which demands the Syrian government to guarantee the safe return of Syrian refugees and exiles. The resolution, which was proposed by the MJD to the three main parliamentary blocs, specifies a restoration of the rights of exiles and refugees as specified by Syrian and international law, and in the UN Declaration on Human Rights. The discussions also dealt with the role that the EU can play in supporting the process of peaceful and democratic change in Syria.
The MJD works closely with EU institutions to convey the views of the internal Syrian opposition to world leaders, institutions and decision makers. The MJD is an active member of the Damascus Declaration for National Democratic Change, a Damascus-based umbrella group which campaigns for peaceful democratic change.
MJD Participation in EU Parliament
On 11th January 2007, MJD participated in the hearing session held in the European Parliament to specifically discuss EU-Syrian relations and the future of the EU-Syria Association Agreement that was initiated in October 2003.
On behalf of the Damascus Declaration, MJD member Ausama Monajed delivered
a speech to the parliament about the views and demands of Syrian opposition groups inside Syria, which was followed
by in-depth discussion.
MJD Speech in the European Parliament:
Dear respected MEPs, Dear guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
My name is Ausama MONAJED, I am a member of Movement for Justice & Development in Syria, which is a member of the Damascus Declaration, a well known umbrella for all true opposition parties in Syria. I was also a former employee of the European Commission.
On behalf of Damascus Declaration, I would like to highlight the following points;
- We, as Syrian oppositionists, are in favor of the EU-Syria Association Agreement, as it promises a lot of hope to the Syrian people, especially the clauses regarding human and civil rights. At the same time, we are quite concerned about the transparency with which the Syrian regime will adhere to and apply the agreement’s articles, especially those in connection with human rights, and the exact mechanisms with which the EC will adopt to monitor, investigate and report such violations.
- It is vital for European institutions to recognize the Syrian opposition and its role in a future Syria, and its right to act and work in Syria according to the democratic principals recognized world wide. The Damascus Declaration would like to stress its right to coordinate, liaise and communicate openly, transparently and directly with European institutions and bodies, especially those dealing with human rights and civil society issues. I Refer here to the case of Mr. Anwar ALBUNNI, the Syrian lawyer who was about to chair an institute for Human Rights in Damascus funded by the EU. Unfortunately this seemed to be unpleasant for the Syrian regime, so they suspended the whole project and detained Mr. ALBUNNI until now.
- All Syrian citizens should be able to benefit equally from EU-funded projects, which we hope will boost the comprehensive development of the country. Apparently, this does not apply to many projects. A consortium formed of elite businessmen with close links to the regime, and some relatives to influential regime figures, are monopolizing projects of high value.
- The coming parliamentary elections in Syria represent a real challenge to the regime. It will reveal how much the Syrian regime is honest and committed to its reform plans. We ask the European Union to play an important and vital role in the monitoring and supervising of these upcoming elections, and to examine closely the promises given by the Syrian regime towards its democratic obligations, and to allow the Syrian opposition to freely launch its campaign and nominate its candidates.
- Finally, the release of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscious and the return of all Syrian political exiles is really the key test of the true intentions of the Syrian regime. We believe that this should be the initial step for the Syrian regime to prove how much it is genuinely committed to fulfilling its Association Agreement obligations.
Ladies and gentlemen, we, as Syrians, hold a great deal of appreciation for European institutions, and respect these institutions for their contributions to the causes of human and civil rights. We are sure that your clear understanding of the situation in Syria will always guide your judgment and decisions on the EU-Syria Association Agreement.
Thank you.
Pictures of MJD Meetings with EU officials
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