Al-Abdah announces the adoption of a new methodology in the Constitutional Committee meetings

Anas al-Abdah, head of the Syrian opposition Negotiations Committee, announced, during a press conference, via video communication technology, the adoption of a new methodology in the Constitutional Committee’s meetings scheduled to be held in Geneva next Monday.

He explained that “before the start of the meetings, draft proposed texts will be submitted to be send to the committee’s sessions, and today, Sunday, a meeting will be held between Pedersen and the co-chairs (on behalf of the regime, Ahmed al-Kuzbari and on the behalf of the opposition, Hadi al-Bahra), to agree on the agenda of the meetings.”

Two days before the Constitutional Committee meetings were held in Geneva, al-Abdah confirmed that “a delegation from the opposition is well prepared and will make every effort to push forward the constitutional process and achieve tangible progress in the political track, according to a new methodology of the Constitutional Committee meetings.”

He added that “there was agreement on the methodology proposed by the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen, in order to motivate towards achievement in the Syrian Constitutional Committee,” noting that the methodology is represented in an attempt to move from the discussion stage to the drafting stage, through the three parties presenting titles to the basic principles of the constitution.”

He pointed out that “the upcoming meeting will be concerned with setting a timetable for the rest of this year, to prevent the Assad regime from procrastinating, which has hampered the work of the Constitutional Committee for two years.”

For his part, Hadi al-Bahra, co-chair of the Syrian Constitutional Committee on behalf of the opposition, stressed that there are several countries that agree on the importance of continuing the work of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, as they see it as a possible entry point to effective negotiations on the implementation of the rest of the elements of international resolution 2254.

The United States, through the State Department, welcomed the announcement by the UN envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, of a meeting of the Syrian Constitutional Committee on October 18, calling on all parties in Syria to negotiate in good faith for a lasting political solution.