‘ASSAD READY FOR POLLS’
DAMASCUS: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told a visiting Russian delegation that eradicating “terrorist” groups in Syria will lead to the political solution that Damascus and Moscow are seeking, Syrian state media reported Sunday.
Assad’s comments come as top diplomats from Russia, the U.S., Saudi Arabia and Turkey are discussing new ideas to revive a failed political transition in Syria to end the war - now in its fifth year. The war, which has killed 250,000 Syrians and displaced millions, has become increasingly complex as Russia and a US-led coalition attack different insurgent groups in Syria in separate and uncoordinated air campaigns.
Russian lawmakers meanwhile told Russia media that Assad is prepared to take part in an early presidential election, hold parliamentary elections and discuss constitutional changes, but only after the “terrorist” forces in Syria are defeated.
Communist lawmaker Alexander Yushchenko told the Tass news agency that the Syrian president is ready if necessary to hold an early presidential election but only “after victory over terrorism on the territory of Syria.”
Sergei Gavrilov, another Communist lawmaker, told Tass that Assad was ready to hold parliamentary elections that included “reasonable, patriotic opposition forces.”
The new diplomatic push follows the recent Russian military intervention in Syria, targeting what Moscow and Damascus call “terrorists” with daily airstrikes.
Opposition groups and Washington say the Russian air campaign aims to bolster Assad who has faced major setbacks from advancing insurgents-including western-backed rebels, ultraconservative Islamists as well as militant groups.