Damascus has sent its clearest message yet that the amendment of the constitution through UN-led talks in Geneva will not take place before the presidential elections in mid-2021, which implies the polls will be organized based on the constitution of 2012.
Moscow indirectly approved Syria’s proposal on Monday after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said following his meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus that there was “no timetable” for the amendment and that “the presidential elections were a Syrian sovereign affair.”
The committee tasked with amending Syria's constitution met in Geneva under UN envoy Geir Pedersen two weeks ago. It was the third meeting of delegates from Assad's government, the opposition and civil society.
During the talks, the government delegation held onto its rejection to any agreements previously struck between the government and the opposition on the procedural rules of the committee, stressing that any new deal among the delegates would be put to a referendum.
The delegation’s stance was seen as a clear rejection to making any constitutional amendments before the presidential elections.
A coalition of parties led by Baath won 183 seats in the 250-member parliament in the elections held in July, which means that the decision on candidacies for the presidential polls lies with the ruling party.
The government delegation’s stance in Geneva is a sign that it wants the constitutional amendment to be postponed until after Assad wins a new seven-year term in 2021, implying that reforms would be implemented in the parliamentary elections of 2024.
Pedersen has visited Moscow in hopes that Damascus would be advised to show more “flexibility” during the Geneva talks. Yet a press conference held by Lavrov and his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Muallem in Damascus on Monday was a clear sign of response to Pedersen’s demands.
“The constitution has nothing to do with the presidential elections,” said Muallem in response to a question, stressing that the polls would be held on time.
On speeding up the work of the constitutional committee, the Syrian answer was bluntly clear that “there’s no timetable” for amending the constitution, which should meet the expectations of the Syrian people.
