Syria opposition wants extension of UN talks
Group seeks time to discuss plans for new constitution
GENEVA // The Syrian opposition asked for an extension of the current round of UN-hosted peace talks to examine plans to prepare a new constitution for their country.
Opposition spokesman Salem Meslet said yesterday that they needed more time to respond to a document presented by UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura at the beginning of the talks a day earlier.
Addressing a demonstration outside the UN headquarters in Geneva led by women relatives of Syrian detainees, Mr Meslet said the proposal involved “the constitutional frame” for an eventual transition period in Syria.
In a separate meeting yesterday, president Bashar Al Assad’s top envoy was expected to discuss Mr de Mistura’s proposal to create a consultative committee of civil society activists and technocrats to set a road map to a new constitution. The team would begin work immediately on “specific options for constitutional drafting” to “prevent a constitution- al or legal vacuum at any point during the political transition process being negotiated”.
The opposition High Negotiations Committee has said it has reservations about the draft, and submitted a list of questions to be discussed with Mr de Mistura.
“This paper was a surprise – it was not expected in the first place,” said Munzer Makhos of the HNA. “We don’t know what the aim is or how it will be implemented. We don’t want there to be more committees outside of our control.”
The UN- backed talks are expected to focus on four separate issues: governance, a new constitution, elections and com- bating terrorism in the war-torn country.
While the HNC has insisted on the removal of Mr Assad as part of any political transition, the government considers this demand as a non-starter.
Hopes for a breakthrough remain dim, particularly after US claims of new regime atrocities at the notorious Saydnaya prison near Damascus.
Satellite images released by the US state department appeared to support earlier claims by human rights groups that Saydnaya is an execution centre. Damascus has rejected the claims.