Syrian rights activist closes his free-speech forum

A Syrian parliament member and harsh government critic said yesterday he was closing his free-speech forum after recent official curbs on such activities. Riad Seif, who was sent for trial last month for allegedly violating the constitution, told Reuters he was seeking an official licence to resume his activities "which are aimed at contributing to the reform process in the country".

His National Dialogue Forum was one of several free-speech salons in which participants freely criticised the government, called for lifting of martial law (in force since 1963), urged establishment of political parties and called for an end to the Baath Party's nearly four-decade monopoly of power. The forums mushroomed in recent months within the framework of reform measures adopted by President Bashar Assad, who took office in July following the death of his father, Hafez Assad, who had ruled Syria with an iron grip for 30 years.

Bashar, 35, a British-educated eye doctor and an army general, promised wide-ranging political, economic, administrative and educational reforms. He has already issued several laws and regulations ending the government's four-decade monopoly of the banking and educational systems and has freed more than 600 political prisoners belonging to various banned political parties.

Seif strongly criticised the recent curbs on the free-speech movement but said he would close down his forum. "We received with bitterness the recent directives closing the forums and imposing restrictions on any political or intellectual activity. This dimmed the atmosphere of optimism which spread among the people of the country during the recent period," he said.

"Within the framework of our interest to abide by the political leadership's directives we decided to close our National Dialogue Form," Seif said. Seif had initially avoided official restrictions imposed on the forums - demanding official approval at least 15 days before a meeting and presenting a copy of the lecture and names of those attending ó- by using his parliamentary status to receive people at his home without needing approval. He said that around 50 people had come to his forum on Wednesday but there had been no political debate.

"We agreed that either we have a real forum in which people could speak freely without being subjected to questioning or there was no need for such forums," he said. Seif said he had been interrogated by the prosecutor on the principles of a political party he was planning to establish which called for an end to the Baath party domination of power. "I was questioned by the prosecutor for two hours on February 28. He directed several accusations at me including violation of the constitution and attempting to create a sectarian rift which I strongly denied," Seif said.

He said he would submit a reply next week proving that all these allegations were illegal and baseless. Last month the Baath leadership launched a counter-campaign against the forum organisers after they had issued a statement, signed by 1,000 people, strongly condemning the party's control of power and describing the last 30 years as full of mistakes.

Vice-president Abdul-Halim Khaddam accused the organisers of intentionally ignoring the achievement of the last three decades and of seeking to create sectarian troubles. A recent circular issued by the Baath party's National Command said political reforms should be conducted by an organised popular group "to prevent any chaos or anarchy". Political sources said the circular meant that the Baath party itself intended to carry out the reforms. "It is clear from the circular that the Baath party, which considers itself a strong and organised movement, wants to limit the reform measures to itself only," one analyst told Reuters.