Hadi Al-Bahra: There is no legitimacy for the elections that the Assad regime will hold in Syria
The co-chair of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, Hadi Al-Bahra, said yesterday, Tuesday, “The representatives of the opposition will not accept to run for any presidential elections arranged by the Assad regime.”
He added, “There will be no legitimate elections in Syria except within the framework of the full and strict implementation of Security Council Resolution 2254 according to the hierarchy in which it is mentioned.”
Al-Bahra criticized the presidential elections that the Assad regime intends to organize in the middle of this year, noting that “the next round of the constitutional committee’s work will reveal to the international community the intentions of all parties regarding the political process.”
He continued, “The presidential elections of the Assad regime are neither legitimate nor important, as they will inevitably complicate the situation in Syria, entrench the human tragedy, and increase the frequency and level of sanctions affecting the Assad regime.”
He noted that these elections will lead to further disintegration of the Assad regime, and will lose it legitimacy in ruling Syria, and will not receive any support from the countries that support it (Russia-Iran).
Al-Bahra explained that the hierarchical steps for the elections, according to UN Resolution 2254, begin “with the implementation of confidence-building measures, the first of which is the achievement of a comprehensive ceasefire, the release of detainees and the knowledge of the fate of the absentees.”
He continued: “Achieving a safe and neutral environment in which political transitions can take place, and part of this environment is achieving transitional justice and the dignified, voluntary and safe return of the displaced and refugees to their original places of residence.”
After the provision of a safe and neutral environment, a “free and fair referendum on the new draft constitution for a free Syria, under the supervision of the United Nations, will come in accordance with the highest international standards of transparency
.”
He stressed that the legitimate presidential or parliamentary elections will be according to what will be determined by the new constitution, which will be approved by the Syrian people, and any violation of the mentioned hierarchy will not lead to a comprehensive and sustainable political solution.
The UN envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, had expressed his confidence that the political process would lead to a fair representation of the desires of all Syrians, in line with its terms of reference approved by the co-chairs.
Source: Agencies
