On Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, whose country has supported the regime of Syrian leader Bashar Assad, said in a statement to the press that politics, not fighting, will bring the civil war there to an end. Though it’s not exactly a new idea, it’s obvious that the use of words and law are effective tools in any countries government. That said, Syria is a pretty torn up country and an end of fighting isn’t likely to occur because of politics.
“What is of utmost importance is to understand that Syria doesn’t have a military solution, and the Syrians’ problems must certainly be resolved politically. Only politically.” Rouhani said to the press. An end to the violence is what must occur in Syria this much is true. But can Assad even assert himself without force and implement a system of government that is agreeable to his people.
Fighting has devastated the country, with more than 400,000 people estimated to have been killed since 2011 and 11 million more displaced. Many groups are fighting in Syria and any active war results in casualties Assad isn’t free of innocent blood on his hands himself. Many children died when Assad used chemical weapons, can he be trusted to run a functional government?
Rouhani stopped short of saying Assad should remain in power. Instead, he stressed that Syria’s boundaries and territory remain unchanged, and that the country’s leadership be decided by voters. Ensuring its a fair election should be key for all Syrians as so many times corruption allows for a rigged system to keep bad people in power.
Syria is technically a democracy, although Assad has faced only token political competition. He won re-election two years ago as the civil war raged, a landslide win amid voting restricted to government-held territories. “The rule of the ballot box and the rule of the Syrian people and the will of the Syrian people should be the sole determinant of the future of the country,” Rouhani said. Words of wisdom, but is Syria in line to make such changes?
