Ukraine, Egypt explore preferential trade deal: Zelenskyy    Egypt, Russia's Rosatom review grid readiness for El-Dabaa nuclear plant    Mastercard Unveils AI-Powered Card Fraud Prevention Service in EEMEA Region, Starting from Egypt    Global tour for Korean 'K-Comics' launches in Cairo with 'Hellbound' exhibition    China's factory output expands in June '25    Egyptian pound climbs against dollar at Wednesday's close    New accords on trade, security strengthen Egypt-Oman Relations    Egypt launches public-private partnership to curb c-sections, improve maternal, child health    Gaza under Israeli siege as death toll mounts, famine looms    EMRA, Elsewedy sign partnership to explore, develop phosphate reserves in Sebaiya    Philip Morris Misr announces new price list effective 1 July    Egypt Post discusses enhanced cooperation with Ivorian counterpart    Egypt's Environment Minister calls for stronger action on desertification, climate resilience in Africa    Egypt in diplomatic push for Gaza truce, Iran-Israel de-escalation    Egypt teams up with private sector to boost university rankings    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Egypt condemns deadly terrorist attack in Niger    Egypt, Tunisia discuss boosting healthcare cooperation        Egypt's EHA, Schneider Electric sign MoU on sustainable infrastructure    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Grand Egyptian Museum opening delayed to Q4    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Egypt discovers three New Kingdom tombs in Luxor's Dra' Abu El-Naga    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Cabinet approves establishment of national medical tourism council to boost healthcare sector    Egypt's PM follows up on Julius Nyerere dam project in Tanzania    Egypt's FM inspects Julius Nyerere Dam project in Tanzania    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



US accuses Syria of delaying constitution ahead of election
Published in Ahram Online on 28 - 10 - 2020

The United States and several Western allies on Tuesday accused the Syrian government of deliberately delaying the drafting of a new constitution to waste time until presidential elections in 2021, and avoid U.N.-supervised voting as called for by the U.N. Security Council.
U.S. deputy ambassador Richard Mills urged the Security Council to ``do everything in its power'' to prevent Bashar Assad's government from blocking agreement on a new constitution in 2020. The Trump administration believes Assad's hope is to ``invalidate the work'' of U.N. special envoy Geir Pedersen who has been trying to spearhead action on a constitution, and the council's call for a political transition.
The Security Council resolution adopted in December 2015 unanimously endorsed a road map to peace in Syria that was approved in Geneva on June 30, 2012 by representatives of the United Nations, Arab League, European Union, Turkey and all five permanent Security Council members - the U.S., Russia, China, France and Britain.
It calls for a Syrian-led political process starting with the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. The resolution says the free and fair elections should meet ``the highest international standards'' of transparency and accountability, with all Syrians _ including members of the diaspora eligible to participate.
At a Russian-hosted Syrian peace conference in January 2018, an agreement was reached to form a 150-member committee to draft a new constitution. That took until September 2019, and since then only three meetings have been held with little progress.
Pedersen, the U.N. envoy, told the Security Council Tuesday he was unable to convene a fourth meeting in October because the government wouldn't accept a compromise agenda which the opposition agreed to. During his just concluded visit to Damascus, he said there was ``some valuable narrowing of the differences'' that could enable consensus on agendas for the next two meetings.
``If we are able to find agreement in the next two days, it should be possible to meet in Geneva sometime in the month of November,'' Pedersen said, dropping the Nov. 23 date in his prepared speech.
Mills, the U.S. envoy, urged Pedersen ``to take any measures he thinks are appropriate to facilitate the parties' efforts ... and also to identify to the council who is blocking progress.''
``Syria is wholly unprepared to carry out elections in a free, fair and transparent manner that would include the participation of the Syrian diaspora,'' Mills said. ``This is why we need the constitutional committee to work, and why we need the U.N. to accelerate its planning to ensure Syria's upcoming elections are credible.''
German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen called Assad's ``delaying and obstruction tactics'' on the constitutional committee's work ``just detestable.''
He said Russia, Syria's most important ally, ``should finally use its influence by, for instance, just cutting military aid and stopping its support, so that the Syrian regime finally plays ball.''
Syria's tactics are clear, Heusgen said. ``They want to waste time until the presidential elections in 2021. The regime should not have any illusions. The elections will not be recognized if they are held under the present circumstances.''
French Ambassador Nicolas De Riviere also criticized Assad's ``refusal to engage in good faith'' and called for preparations to begin for U.N.-supervised elections that include the diaspora. France won't recognize results that don't comply with these provisions, he said, stressing: ``We will not be fooled by the regime's attempts to legitimize itself.''
Russia's ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, made no mention of the April presidential election and countered that Syrians must have ``the opportunity to negotiate without interference from the outside.''
``The work of the constitutional committee should not be subject to any deadlines,'' he said, expressing hope that Pedersen's mediation will enable the committee's work to continue ``in line with the agenda agreed by the Syrians.''
Russia also sparred with Western ambassadors over its veto threats that led to the closure of two border crossings to deliver aid to Syria -- one in the northeast and one in the northwest leaving only one crossing to Idlib in the northwest.
The U.S., Germany, France, Britain, Belgium and others criticized the border crossing closures.
U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told the council that Syrian government deliveries across conflict lines to the northeast are ``not delivering at the scale or frequency required to meet the current health needs.'' He said one hospital received only 450 gowns in April, and another received nothing for its maternity wing.
Lowcock also said ``the situation of families across Syria is truly desperate,'' citing food prices more than 90 percent higher than six months ago.
Russia's Nebenzia responded, noting ``with satisfaction the progress in U.N. humanitarian deliveries from inside Syria including through cross-line routes,'' saying this ``proves'' the government is providing aid to people including in areas not under its control.


Clic here to read the story from its source.