On Wednesday, Syrian President Bashar al Assad was hit by a slight blood pressure drop during his speech in front of the People’s Assembly.
In a statement, the Syrian presidency said, “At exactly 6:30 PM (Damascus time) on the national media and the social media platforms of the presidency on social media… following the speech of President Assad before the members of the People’s Assembly”.
The Syrian presidency continued, “The speech paused for a few minutes due to a slight pressure drop that afflicted the President before returning to resume the speech normally”.
After the Syrian president completed his speech after a few minutes, he confirmed that the “Caesar Act” is the title of a new phase of escalation in the region.
He added that “Caesar Act” is not a separate and abstract case to ask about it in an abstract way.
Rather, it is part of a state of siege that was escalating continuously.
Assad stated that “Caesar Act” has a lot of additional damage and a lot of psychological warfare.
Regarding the People’s Assembly elections, the Syrian President said that the competition in the People’s Assembly elections was real, and we had not seen it before, stressing that it is a national movement.
Assad said, “The elections that you have run are different, and the evidence is the hype that was raised about it and what came after it”.
He added, “We heard a lot of criticism about the People’s Assembly elections, and part of it may be true, but the most positive thing is to see our problems honestly”.
Assad stated that the lesson we have learned is to start the dialogue in order to reach controls, and it is these controls that curb wrong behavior.
The Syrian President emphasized that the People’s Assembly is the most important bridge between the citizen and the executive authority, explaining that the People’s Assembly has a pivotal role in the dialogue.
He stated in his speech that the relationship with the executive authority is constitutional and is summarized in oversight and accountability, but oversight remains deficient if it is not linked to an understanding of all the details of the plans proposed by the executive authority, and this understanding is linked to dialogue.
Regarding what Syria has been going through since 2011, the Syrian president said that this unconventional war had relied on the psychological side with the aim of breaking morale.
Assad added: “If the war imposes itself on our agenda, that does not mean that it prevents us from carrying out our duties… and if the destruction and terrorism force a return to the back in general, this does not prevent us from moving forward in some sectors to be in a better position than we were on it before the war”.
He continued, saying, “I do not think that there is a person who has the minimum level of patriotism, who accepts defeatist proposals today after all these sacrifices… the bodies of the wounded and the blood of the martyrs are not free… they have a price… the price of steadfastness and then victory”.
He added, “Let us remember that our standing with the army was the reason for its achievements, and our standing with our pound would be the reason for its strength”.
Assad stated that the United States needs terrorists in the region, on top of which is “ISIS” and wanted the “Caesar Act” to express its support for terrorists… and that the practical response to the blockade would be to increase production and self-reliance.
The Syrian President indicated that the Israeli attacks on Deir al Zour came to facilitate the movement of “ISIS” terrorists.
“We are in the heart of the war, and we are talking about liberating different lands and regions, but the return of state authority is through the return of the rule of law, not just the liberation of lands… Law and corruption cannot meet in one place”, Assad added.
He stressed that the country cannot stand while being thwarted by terrorists and looted by the corrupt… and that deterrence is the last factor in combating corruption… and we continue to recover public funds stolen by legal means and through institutions.
Assad stressed that we must think about what secures the citizen’s sustenance and removes poverty and want, and promotes hope and work, without which life has no meaning.
He added that the Golan remains in the heart of every honorable Syrian who does not change his status, an annexation decision by the government of a Zionist entity or an immoral US regime, and our right to return it is inseparable from our right to liberate all our lands from terrorism.
On the economic front, the Syrian president said in his speech that the exchange rate of the Syrian pound was subject to speculation and the only influencing factor was “popular panic”.
Assad added that “everyone who was selling the pound was contributing to inflation, and this is selfish,” stressing that the exchange rate is transmitted with infection faster than the virus.
He said that the US sanctions had caused internal panic, which led to a record decline in the Syrian pound.
He explained that investments are still present, resisted, and still steadfast, and there are investments that expanded during the war.
The Syrian president stressed that “the national capital should not be a coward, because it will lose, and with it the homeland will be lost”.
Assad called for the need to support the small economy because it is flexible, noting that the most important sector is agriculture, but its role has been negatively affected even though it is the subject of great support.
He also stated that non-strategic crops must be supported, stressing that under the blockade everything becomes strategic, saying that any sector that is not subject to restructuring does not develop.
He continued: “Any plan without a clear mechanism and tasks, the results of which can only be modest, and when we do not notice a development commensurate with the support provided by the state to the agricultural sector, then it is possible to follow up on the development of programs and follow up on default and accountability”.
He stated, “We are in the heart of the war and we are talking about the liberation of the various lands and regions, but the return of state authority is through the return of the rule of law, not just the liberation of lands… Law and corruption cannot meet in one place”.
The Syrian President also touched on corruption in his speech.
Assad clarified that law and corruption do not meet, so corruption must be struck in order to complete the liberation, indicating in the context that war, siege and aggression in all its forms is a disease that cannot be resisted if the body is not healthy.
He emphasized that the more pressure increased, the more necessary the fight against corruption.
Assad sent a message to anti-corruption enthusiasts: “There was no hanging.
There will be law reform,” indicating that the issue is a reform issue.
He stated that the fight against corruption did not stop in one day, but it escalated in recent years for several reasons, the first of which is the increasing ability of institutions to prove the state of corruption.
President Assad stressed that his country continues to recover public funds stolen by legal means and through institutions, and there will be no favoritism for anyone who thinks himself above the law, and everything that has been done in this field confirms that the talk about fighting corruption has never been a word of construction or propaganda, or for local consumption.
