Washington: The presidential elections that the Assad regime will hold will not represent the Syrian people

The United States affirmed, on Wednesday, that the presidential elections that the Assad regime will hold will not be free or fair, and will not represent the Syrian people.

This came in a speech by the American delegate to the United Nations, Linda Thomas, during a session of the UN Security Council, via video link.

Linda said: “The so-called presidential elections, which the Assad regime are planning to hold on May 26, will not be free or fair, but rather fake and do not represent the Syrian people.”

She added, “According to a mandate issued by this council unanimously (Resolution 2254 of 2015), elections must be held in accordance with a new constitution, and under the supervision of the United Nations, and the Assad regime must take steps to enable the participation of refugees and displaced persons in any Syrian elections.”

And she emphasized, “As a reminder, the United States will not support any aid for reconstruction that will benefit the Assad regime, in the absence of progress in achieving the political reforms called for by Resolution 2254.”

Linda added, “The United States stands with all members of the Syrian people, so we demand the Assad regime to commit to a nationwide ceasefire, and we call for a political solution to the conflict.”
She explained, “We call on this council to support the Syrian people, and to grant them access to the humanitarian aid they desperately need.”
“Bab al-Hawa (crossing) remains indispensable to ensure the delivery of food, shelter and medical supplies,” she added.

On July 12, the council adopted a draft resolution submitted by Germany and Belgium, according to which the UN cross-border aid mechanism was extended to Syria from the Bab al-Hawa crossing on the Turkish border for a year ending on July 11.
“Four million people in northwestern Syria depend on one thousand United Nations trucks that pass through this crossing every month.”
There is no alternative … and that single crossing point is insufficient for the enormous needs. ”

And she called for “the re-delegation of Bab al-Hawa for a period of 12 months, and the reopening of the Bab al-Salam and al-Arabiya crossings,” warning that “if the United Nations loses access, the Coronavirus crisis in Syria will turn from tragic to catastrophic.”

Source: Agencies