Interior Ministry: 89.4% of the 8,376,447 Voters Agreed to New Constitution
DAMASCUS, (SANA) –The Interior Ministry on Monday announced the results of the referendum on the new Constitution of Syria, with 89.4% of voters agreeing to it.
In a press conference, Minister of Interior Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar said that that 8,376,447 citizens voted in the referendum on the new draft constitution, which constitutes 57.4% of the 14,589,954 eligible voters, with 7,490,319 (89.4% of voters) agreeing to it while 753,208 (9% of voters) didn’t agree.
He said that there were 132,920 invalid ballots, which makes up 1.6% of votes.
Al-Shaar said that there was a good turnout despite the threats and intimidation by armed terrorist groups in some areas and the accompanying distortion and instigation campaigns by media which attempted to prevent citizens from practicing their right to vote and harm the democratic process.
Answering questions raised by journalists, al-Shaar underlined that the armed terrorist groups in some areas obstructed the arrival of citizens in a number of referendum centers, but they didn’t affect the process in general.
He added that what has prevented Syrian Embassies from opening referendum centers abroad was the ban on the airlines by some Arab and western states which hindered delivering the documents and publications related to referendum process.
“Instead, Syria has opened new referendum centers along the border points with the neighboring countries which witnessed good turnout,” the Minister said.
Al-Shaar stressed that new laws will be issued regarding the articles of the new constitution, adding that what needs amendment would be amended.
He concluded by saying that the government is serious in tackling security situation and ending all armed phenomena and all forms of chaos.
Russian Foreign Ministry: New Constitution Referendum Results Indicate that the Syrian People Support their Leadership
MOSCOW, (SANA) – Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that the results of the referendum on the new constitution in Syria indicate that the Syrian people support their leadership.
In a statement, the Ministry said that Moscow considers the referendum as an important step on the way to making Syria a modern democratic state.
The Russian Ministry added that Russia views the results of the constitution as evident of the support the Syrian Government enjoys by its people, pointing out that the opposition groups which called for boycotting the referendum proved to be lacking popularity and they do not have the right to speak on behalf of the Syrian people.
The statement added that Russia calls on all sides to refrain from violence and get involved in dialogue with no preconditions.
Pushkov: Russia is Exerting Efforts to Evacuate Injured Foreign Journalists from Homs
Chairman of the Russian Duma’s International Affairs Committee Aleksey Pushkov said that Russia is exerting efforts to evacuate injured foreign journalists from Homs.
Pushkov was quoted as saying that according to his information, the Western countries are not trying to evacuate the injured, indicating that the gunmen haven’t consented to evacuating them, only allowing journalists to videotape them.
Earlier, the Foreign Ministry had underlined the importance that foreign journalists respect the laws regulating journalistic work and not enter the Syrian territories to get to restive areas. F.Allafi/al-Ibrahim/M. Ismael
Seize More than 40 Explosive Devices in Daraa, Cars Loaded with Weapons in al-Hasaka
PROVINCES, (SANA)_ An armed Terrorist Group on Monday shelled with mortars a military educational Complex in Homs, claiming the lives of two members and injuring 12 others.
More than 40 Explosive Devices Seized in Daraa
Authorities seized in the Basra al-Harir town in Daraa countryside a warehouse that includes explosive devices set to be detonated by armed terrorist groups to attack law-enforcement personnel and terrorize citizens.
SANA reporter in Daraa was informed that over 40 explosive devices weighing from 5 kilograms to 20 kilograms.
Border Guard Personnel Foil Infiltration Attempt of Armed Terrorist Group Coming from Jordan
Meanwhile, Border Guard personnel foiled an infiltration attempt by an armed terrorist group coming from Jordan in Tal-Shihab area in Daraa countryside.
SANA reporter in Daraa was informed that the border guard personnel clashed with the terrorist group killing 5 terrorists and wounding two others and the rest of them ran away to the Jordanian territories.
Authorities Seize 3 cars Loaded with Amounts of Weapons and Ammunition in al-Hasaka
In the same context, Authorities seized in al-Hasaka province two cars loaded with various weapons.
SANA reporter in al-Hasaka reported an official source as saying that the weapons seized in the two cars included 106 rifles, machine guns and 3 RPG launchers, two sniper rifles and large amounts of ammunition coming from Iraq.
The source pointed out that after fire exchange, the authorities managed to seize the two cars and arrest the people riding them.
The source added that the authorities seized another car loaded with 26 rifles coming from Turkey.
16 Army and Law-Enforcement Martyrs Laid to Rest
DAMASCUS/LATTAKIA, (SANA) – Sixteen army and law-enforcement martyrs on Monday were escorted from Tishreen Military Hospital in Damascus and Zahi Azraq Military Hospital in Lattakia to their final resting place.
The martyrs were killed in the line of duty by armed terrorist groups in Homs and Damascus Countryside.
Solemn processions were held for the martyrs, as the music of “The Martyr” and “The Farewell” was playing.
The martyrs are:
Warrant Officer Sami Sleiman al-Abdullah, from Tartous.
Retired Warrant Officer Hussein Ibrahim Hasan, from Lattakia.
Warrant Officer Hussein Matar Hamadi, from Homs.
Sergeant Major Mahmoud Ahmad al-Khatib, from Hama.
Sergeant Major Hatem Jamil Ahmad, from Lattakia.
Sergeant Mahmoud Hasan Salloum, from Tartous.
Sergeant Hussam Ibrahim al-Ali, from Aleppo.
Sergeant Mahmoud Ahmad Shams, from Aleppo.
Conscript Yehea Dawoud al-Homsi, from Damascus Countryside.
Conscript Khedr Khaled Abdullah, from Aleppo.
Conscript Yasser Hasan al-Hamad, from Aleppo.
Conscript Tamer Mahmoud al-Khamis, from Hasaka.
Conscript Khalil Ismael Taher, from Aleppo.
Conscript Hisham Hussein al-Atiya, from Aleppo.
Conscript Thabet Sobhi al-Hussein, from Idleb.
Conscript Bassem Issa Abbas, from Lattakia.
The martyrs’ relatives affirmed that their sons’ blood will make Syria stronger and more capable of facing challenges, and that Syria proved its ability to confront difficult conditions concocted by malicious hands.
They denounced the crimes and armed terrorist groups, warning people not to believe the lies of satellite channels who are accomplices in the shedding of Syrian blood.
Putin Affirms Russia’s Adherence to Its Independent Foreign Policy, Rejection of Any Foreign Interference in Syria
MOSCOW, (SANA)- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin affirmed Russia’s adherence to its rejection of any foreign interference in Syria or any attempt to repeat the Libyan scenario in Syria, stressing that the international community must exert efforts to achieve reconciliation among Syrians.
In an article under the title “Russia and the Changing World” published in the Russian newspaper Moskovskie Novosti on Monday, Putin underlined the need to end violence in Syria regardless of source and launch national dialogue without preconditions and without foreign interference in a manner respecting sovereignty, saying that this will compliment the steps announced by the Syrian leadership to promote democracy, and more importantly, will prevent the occurrence of a civil war.
He pointed out that after the bitter experience of Libya, Russia is against the Security Council issuing any resolutions that may be interpreted as permitting military intervention in Syria, noting that this is why Russia and China didn’t allow the resolution in February which could have been misinterpreted and urged one side to resort to violence.
Putin warned the west against creating a coalition or alliance to carry out an operation not sanctioned by the Security Council since such a behavior is very risky and does not help reach a settlement in a troubled country and will cause deterioration in international security, adding that the veto right is an integral part of the world order and the UN charter.
He expressed hope that the US and other countries will take the unfortunate experience of Libya into consideration, expressing wonder over the desire to use military force and the lack of patience to formulate a balanced unanimous stance, noting that such a stance could have been made by making the same demands from the armed opposition that were made from the government.
Putin said that rejecting this step was an impertinent act since all participants in armed conflict must come to their senses in order to guarantee the safety of innocent civilians, which is Russia’s primary goal.
Regarding the Arab region, Putin said that the “Arab Spring” resulted in the replacement of one force by another even more stern and oppressive one rather than establish democracy and protecting the rights of minorities, adding that foreign interference in favor of one side in an internal conflicts exasperated the situation, which is what happened in Libya, as countries worked to topple the Libyan regime under the guise of humanitarianism and resulted in the horrible scene of the killing of Muammar Gaddafi in a medieval manner.
He said that the tragic events in the Middle East aren’t motivated by protecting human rights, and that seeking to force democracy often leads to the opposite result as extremist religious forces emerge to subvert the development of countries.
Regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict, Putin stressed that there’s no magical solution to this issue and that work must continue to seek a solution, which is what Russian diplomacy will do.
He expressed Russia’s adherence to providing security to all countries and avoid the excessive use of force, saying that some of the actions of the US and NATO undermine Russia’s security and destabilize the world, adding that there are concerns over the armed conflicts which are being justified by humanitarian purposes.
Putin said that the selective protection of human rights leads to empty demagogy, stressing the need for the UN to resist pressure and dictations as no-one may use force against sovereign countries under the pretense of acquiring UN approval.
On the Iranian issue, Putin warned against the catastrophic consequences of a military strike against Iran, calling for resolving the Iranian issue peacefully.
Syrian Observatory for Victims of Violence and Terrorism Denounces Hamad Bin Jassim Calls for Arming Opposition
DAMASCUS, (SANA)_The Syrian Observatory for Victims of Violence and Terrorism denounced the statements made by Qatar’s Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim in which he called for supporting the opposition and arming Istanbul Council terrorist groups.
In a statement on Monday, the Observatory said that the Qatari and Saudi stances converge with those of the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, which amounts to conspiring and direct involvement in the Syrian events and is thus likely to raise the level of tension in Syria.
The Observatory saw that the so-called ”Friends of Syria” meeting came as part of endeavors by Western and Gulf states to conspire against Syria and rally as much support as possible to meet Istanbul Council’s demands.
The statement considered such US-Zionist initiatives as a direct involvement in the events taking place in Syria.
Syrian Consultative Center for Studies and Human Rights: Illusory Organizations were Invented to Stoke Instigation against Syria
The Syrian Consultative Center for Studies and Human Rights said that illusory organizations were invented under the pretext of protecting human rights with the aim to further stoke misleading campaigns against Syria, namely the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The center added that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights distributes false and uncorroborated statements on violations and victims intended for disorienting the Arab and world public opinion.
China Hopes Referendum on New Constitution will Push Reform Process in Syria and Start Political Dialogue
BEIJING, (SANA) – China hoped on Monday that the referendum on the new constitution would push the ongoing reform process in Syria forward and start political dialogue in response to the Syrian people’s aspirations for change and legitimate demands.
“We hope that all sides in Syria work together and exert coordinated efforts to ease the tension as soon as possible,” Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson, Hong Lei, told a news conference.
Lei pointed out that his country calls on the international community to fully respect Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and to respect the choice of the Syrian people.
He reiterated China’s stance which rejects any foreign interference or solutions, adding that China adheres to an objective and responsible stance based on protecting the interests of Syria and the Arab peoples.
Concerning the so-called “Friends of Syria Conference” held in Tunis recently, Lei pointed out that China decided not to attend this conference because the purpose of the conference and its mechanisms and role need more study and understanding.
Syrian youths launch activity of the longest letter in the world in loyalty to Homeland
DAMASCUS, (SANA)-A group of Syrian youths on Monday launched activity of the longest message in the world in loyalty to the Homeland, stressing that the aim of this message is to stress amity and solidarity among all Syrian people and reject the foreign intervention in Syria’s domestic affairs.
Organizers of the activity said that the message bears signatures of Syrian citizens from different cities in order to boost solidarity among them in the face of plots and pressures to which the country is exposed.
Lavrov: Russia lauds Holding Referendum on Draft Constitution in Syria
MOSCOW, (SANA)- Russia has welcomed holding a referendum on the new draft constitution in Syria as “a step toward achieving reform and democracy”, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.
“Holding referendum on a new draft constitution in Syria constitutes an important step towards reform and democracy… The end of a one-party system in the country should be welcomed,” Lavrov added in a press conference in Moscow.
Lavrov called on all international powers to give a unified and clear sign to all Syria sides on the necessity of sitting around the table of dialogue to find solution to the crisis, pointing to the necessity of halting violence in the country by all parties.
Lavrov described the so-called ‘Friends of Syria’ meeting held recently in Tunisia as “a meeting of unilateral support”, noting that “To this day, we do not know the legal status of the document adopted by the meeting. We have an impression that this meeting didn’t contributed in ensuring the circumstances to encourage all sides to hold political dialogue”.
Lavrov expressed confidence that referendum on the draft of the new constitution for Syria is not a response to statements, but rather it is an important reform step.
He added that Russia welcomes any initiative to unify the international community on the basis of supporting decisions made by the Syrians themselves.
Damage Caused by Armed Groups to Irrigation Sector Exceeds SYP 1 Billion and 600 Million
DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Minister of Irrigation George Somi on Monday said the damage caused by armed terrorist groups to water facilities and vehicles affiliated to the Ministry exceeded SYP 1 billion and 600 million.
“In Hama governorate, the attacks targeted pumping stations in al-Ghab region which hindered providing water to the dams and irrigation networks,” said Minister Somi in a statement to the journalists.
He added that the armed terrorist groups also prevented the companies responsible for water projects execution from continuing their works.
The minister said these armed groups also prevented employees at the Water Resources Directorate in Idleb governorate from going to their workplace which made it difficult to continue maintenance works of irrigation networks or monitoring ground water, adding that the case in Daraa and Homs governorates is similar.
He added that the situation of water facilities throughout the Syrian governorates was better except for Deir Ezzor as the General Establishment for Land Reclamation in the lower Euphrates Basin has been attacked with a total loss of more than SYP 5 million.
Minister Somi stressed that the Ministry will exert great efforts to preserve the safety of water facilities and vital projects throughout the Syrian territories.
Tunisian Writers Criticize Their Government’s Stance towards Syria
TUNIS, (SANA) – Tunisian writers criticized the aggressive stance of their country towards Syria and hosting the so-called “Friends of Syria” meeting.
Writer Amin Abu Masood from the Tunisian Al-Shorouk newspaper apologized to Syria and wondered what kind of friend lies, misleads and instigates against Damascus, gives a hand to Israel and supports armed figures from the Syrian opposition who fight in the name of the Zionists.
Abu Masood considered that hosting the meeting in Tunisia stresses the commitment of the Tunisian government and presidency to the US “Great Middle East” project which aims at re-drawing the map of the Arab world through fragmenting the region and provoking sectarian and ethnic division.
“It is naive that the President al-Marzouki circulating the lie about keenness on helping the Syrian people to build democracy through a meeting whose Arab, Western and Turkish members support armed terrorist gangs which shed the Syrian blood using US, French, British, Gulf and Israeli weapons,” he said.
For his part, the Tunisian University Professor Mustafa al-Keilani said the Syrian intelligence was proved once again which helped the country survive the scheme against it, noting that this scheme is very similar to the one used against Libya.
He warned agaisnt intensifying economic sanctions on Syria to gain time to change the reality on the ground through increasing the internal conflict along with several attempts to influence regional and international powers that support Syria.
Source: The Embassy of Syrian Arab Republican in Kuala Lumpur.