Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam surprised the Syrian and Arab scene at the end of last year when he announced his defection to the current Syrian regime, of which he is one of its main pillars, as he held the highest positions in the leadership of the Baath Party and in successive Syrian governments for about 40 years. In an exclusive interview with Deutsche Welle radio in Arabic, former Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam sent a letter to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in which he called on him to "form a national unity government that will run the country, draft a new constitution for the country and legitimize parties." He also called on him to abolish the emergency law, guarantee public and individual freedoms, end political isolation, and ensure the return of tens of thousands of Syrians abroad to their country, he said.
“What is required is a general popular movement.”
Khaddam expressed his categorical rejection of a military coup and “the principle of change through military coups,” noting that “no one in Syria wants that change. The change must be made by the people, and no one in Syria wants to plunge the army into politics again.” Khaddam also stressed that "the Syrian people will bear their responsibilities and will be able to change through a general popular movement in Syria. This will happen because the Syrian people are suffering greatly economically and in their livelihood and are suffering from external pressures."
