The Syrian opposition demands a clear work plan for the meetings of the Constitutional Committee

Yesterday, Wednesday, the Syrian opposition demanded that a clear work plan be found for the meetings of the Constitutional Committee in Geneva, and that the formulation be moved instead of staying in the preparation stage, at which the Assad regime’s delegation remained for a long time.

This came in a press conference held by the head of the delegation, Ahmed Touma, and the spokesman for the delegation, Ayman Al-Asimi, after the end of the “Astana 15” meetings in Sochi, Russia.

Touma said: “The opposition demanded, during the Astana 15 meetings, a clear work plan and a timetable to start with constitutional formulations and bypass the stage in which the Assad regime remained, which is the preparation phase, which was prolonged, through its continuous delays.”

He added, “The other topics that we discussed are confirming the current agreement, which includes a permanent ceasefire in northern Syria.”

Touma pointed out that there is no solution in Syria other than a political one, pointing out, “We have an opportunity in Idlib for a ceasefire, and we believe the need to consolidate and stabilize the agreement of last year.”

He stressed: “We want the constitution as a political solution in Syria, and as a starting point for discussing the four files (transitional governance, the constitution, elections, combating terrorism), in order to fully implement UN Resolution 2254.”

The head of the opposition delegation called on the international community to provide support for international efforts to find a solution, to establish the lines for stopping the fighting and forcing the Assad regime to enter the political process.

Touma continued: “Our meeting with the UN envoy, Geir Pedersen, was constructive and frank, and we talked about the problems facing the Constitutional Committee, and he expressed his influence over what happened and his frustration with the system’s obstruction of everything that would proceed with the drafting.

Regarding the proposals of the Syrian opposition, Touma said: “We raised the file of detainees who exceeded 400,000, and we are still following up to pressure this file that concerns all Syrians.”

He concluded, “The Syrian opposition refused to hold presidential elections in Syria without a new constitution being approved and elections based on it.”

Source: Agencies