SYRIA: POLITICS - Communists from Syria and Lebanon celebrate the Syrian Communist Party's 85th anniversary

Record ID: 278500

  • Title: SYRIA: POLITICS - Communists from Syria and Lebanon celebrate the Syrian Communist Party's 85th anniversary
  • Date: 7th December 2009
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (DECEMBER 4, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WAVING COMMUNIST FLAGS AND SYRIAN FLAGS VARIOUS OF CROWDS LISTENING TO SPEAKERS ON STAGE (5 SHOTS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FIRST SECRETARY OF THE SYRIAN COMMUNIST PARTY, HUNEIN NIMER, SAYING: "Unfortunately, we experienced a split for many years but for several years now we have been starting to get over th
  • Embargoed: 22nd December 2009 12:00
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  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAE2L4YIIL3HT82NM479YTF7DTA
  • Story Text: Communists from Syria and Lebanon celebrated in Damascus on Friday (December 4, 2009), the 85th anniversary of the Syrian Communist Party.
    Thousand of communists joined together to take part in the festival, holding and waving red flags as well as Syrian flags.
    The Syrian Communist Party was founded on October 28, 1924 in Beirut and called for the liberation of the occupied areas. It took part in the fight against occupation. In 1944, it was named as a political party in the country but a split within the party in 1986 led to two competing factions using the same name.
    Hunein Nimer, the first secretary of the Syrian Communist Party, pointed to Syria's role in backing resistance against occupation and said that the party would never go back to the time of division within the party.
    "Unfortunately, we experienced a split for many years but for several years now we have been starting to get over this issue and begin a process of unity that is progressing continuously. The series of splits have ended and now a series of unity is beginning," Nimer said.
    Maher al-Taher, a politburo member in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, called for widespread unity amongst all political parties in order to form a front to face the new challenges in the region.
    "I call for the unity of communists. I call to establish the biggest front that joins all the national, leftist, political and Islamic forces," al-Taher said.
    The Syrian Communist Party is part of the world communist movement.
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