Armed opponents' boycott undermines Syrian peace conference

Syrian peace talks got off to a rocky start on Tuesday, with key opposition figures refusing to take part and the main Kurdish party absent, but the conference agreed to move ahead with plans to draft constitutional reforms.

کد خبر: ۷۶۹۸۵۵

تاریخ: ۱۱ بهمن ۱۳۹۶ - ۱۰:۲۹

The conference called for the reform process to take place through the United Nations, which is the host of the so-called Geneva process for a final settlement to end the brutal war plaguing the country since 2011.

"I will be indicating as soon as possible - because Syria cannot wait - how I intend to proceed," UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said at the close of the conference, adding that this would be a "delicate job" that required further consultations.

A list of about 150 people was prepared as possible candidates for the constitutional committee, of whom two-thirds are government and so-called moderate opposition. It is unclear how armed groups on the ground will react.

"Our task was as much as possible, to have the revitalisation of political settlement process, give it a new boost, help move it from the stalemate," said Russian diplomat Aleksandr Lavrentyev.

"We hope Sochi's clear success will give a boost to the Geneva process."

As the conference got under way, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message, saying that "conditions are in place to turn the tragic page in the history of Syria." Officials have admitted there was no expectation for a sudden breakthrough.

Some members of the armed opposition flew to Sochi but declined to participate, citing the conference's use of only the Syrian government's flag.

The Kremlin is a staunch military backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad, even as it is starting to unwind its active military role that ensured the leader stayed in power and that the state itself did not collapse.

"We demanded that the Russian side remove Syrian regime flags and stop air raids on Idlib," one opposition figure said, referring to a province facing heavy fighting in northern Syria between opposition forces and the government.

Turkey was delegated to represent these groups as a compromise, after the armed opposition figures refused to leave the airport.

Turkey, a supporter of the opposition, is one of the three members of the Astana process, along with Russia and Iran, which back the government. The troika aims to impose cease-fires in Syria.

Renewed violence breaking out in rebel-held areas of Syria, as well as a Turkish offensive in a Kurdish enclave, Afrin, have threatened to overshadow the Syrian National Dialogue Congress, to which some 1600 people were invited.

Dozens have died this week in both Idlib, the last rebel-held province, and Afrin.

Ankara blocked the participation of the main Syrian Kurdish group, which had said that it would not attend over the Turkish offensive in Afrin, which started 10 days ago.

Turkey - but not Russia - sees the Kurdish YPG militia as a terrorist organisation. The US is partnered with the YPG to fight Islamic State in Syria.

Despite the eschewed Kurdish representatives and a boycott by key armed groups - including the main opposition umbrella High Negotiation Committee - representatives of moderate organisations opposing Assad are attending.

"We need to change the government to enable us to come back to Syria," said Randa Kassis, who lives in Europe and represents a bloc of secular, reform-orientated Syrians.

"We want Syria to change," she said, warning it would not be enough to return to the situation before the 2011 protest against the government.

The harsh crackdown on the demonstrators sparked the armed conflict.

"We need reforms to build a new Syria. A little from this side and a little from this side," human rights activist Haytham Manna said, calling for compromises.

However, Ahmed Kuzbari, an ally of Assad, insisted the new constitution would not be written by those in exile, highlighting differences between hardliners in the government and even moderate members of the opposition.

"Our constitution will be only set with Syrian hands and on Syrian land," he said.

He called for Western nations "to support the Syrian people by stopping the sanctions on Syrians," he said.

The West is largely opposed to funding projects that would bolster Assad or dropping sanctions against the president, accused of stark human rights abuses and using chemical weapons.