Syria opposition splits after disagreements within coalition

Several members of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) have quit and formed a new entity under the name Syrian National Coalition – Reform Movement, Arabi21 reported.

According to the site, the split came after the coalition’s leader, Sheikh Salem Al-Muslet, decided to exclude the members from the coalition, dissolve blocs within it and alter the internal system.

In the first statement issued by the newly formed movement, the members described the decisions as a “coup” carried out by “an intrusive clique” and pledged to expose the faults and corruption within the coalition.

“The coalition is witnessing a coup carried out by a group of outsiders to the national rank,” the statement said, adding that the movement is committed to working to present serious reform plans, exposing faults and corruption.

Head of the National Action Movement for Syria and SOC member, Ahmad Ramadan, said the Reform Movement is not new, and includes members of all components, adding that the movement aims to present the coalition’s reform plans to the Syrian public.

In an interview with Arabi21, Ramadan added that the new current “is patriotic and expresses the reality of the coalition’s goals that are consistent with the Syrian revolution’s goals,” including exposing corruption.

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