Alwaght-Syria has faulted UN Special Envoy setting Syrian presidential elections schedule noting that dialogue parties are the ones to decide on the matter.
Speaking on Saturday in Damascus, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem commented on UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura recent statements setting up a schedule for Geneva talks which he said will discuss the regime, the constitution and the parliamentary and presidential elections. Al-Moallem said de Mistura doesn’t have the right to set a schedule, which is something up to the dialogue parties.
Al-Moallem stressed that neither de Mistura nor anyone else whomsoever can discuss this issue as it is “an exclusive right of the Syrian people,” dismissing what the envoy said as “a deviation from all the UN documents.”
“We will no longer accept that [de Mistura] gives up objectivity to please this or that party, and our delegation will reject any attempt to put this issue on the schedule,” he added.
Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy for Syria, told Russia's RIA Novosti state news agency on Friday that one of the main topics at the negotiations would be the implementation of UN-monitored presidential elections within 18 months.
On the Syria talks expected to be held in Geneva, al-Moallem pointed out that Syrian government delegation will not wait forever for other parties to decide to show up. “We are going to Geneva and we do not know with whom we will have dialogue,” he said, reiterating that the Syrian delegation will wait only 24 hours for the other parties to show up and if the other parties don’t show up by that time, the delegation will leave Geneva and the other party will be held responsible for the failure of the talks.
Al-Moallem affirmed that the Syrian delegation has not put preconditions for the dialogue in Geneva, adding that those who know Syria and the Syrian leadership well realize that “we do not bow to anyone, whether states or groups.” “We will not have dialogue with any side that discusses the position of the president. This is a red line and it is up to the Syrians alone,” he reiterated. Al-Moallem stressed that Syria is committed to the cessation of hostilities agreement, noting that there have been breaches of the agreement by the armed groups that were responded to by the army sometimes and overlooked in other times. “We affirm out armed forces’ right to respond to breaches,” he added.
He used this opportunity to urge those who have taken up weapons to utilize the agreement of the cessation of hostilities and engage in reconciliations.
