Published 13:44 IST, September 24th 2019
Syria says no to any 'foreign intervention' in its constitution body
Syria on Sept 23 said that it does not want any kind of 'foreign intervention' in the formation of its constitution committee giving UN envoy the charge.
On September 23, Syria said that the work of any new constitutional committee must be free from any foreign interference, suggesting it remain insistent that an anticipated step must respect its sovereignty in a peace process that is much delayed. Syria stressed on its long-held position while the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke in the New York city that the agreement is at the committee's configuration. He also said that the body is most likely to be set up in a few weeks. The UN administration says that it is important to form a constitutional committee for political reforms and new elections intended to unite Syria. It is also necessary for ending the long war which killed over hundreds of people of Syria and displaced major population.
The UN envoy was given the charge of drafting a committee
Russia convoked the congress, a leading ally of Syria President Bashar al-Assad in 2018, with giving the UN Envoy for Syria, the charge of creating a committee in order to draft a new constitution. It happened after many failed attempts at talks to end the war. According to reports by foreign media, the Foreign Minister of Syria Walid al-Moualem after meeting Pedersen in the Syrian capital Damascus on September 23, said that the two talked about the need to work on a clear procedure for the operation. They also discussed that the constitutional committee should not have any foreign intervention.
The UN envoy will brief the UN Security Council
Pedersen in the past few months has accelerated efforts to have the final touch to the committee's formation. He spoke in Russia and Western countries, also consulted countries like Iran and Turkey's top officials. He also met the Syrian opposition chief negotiator Nasr Hariri at the beginning of the month. He announced that he will go to New York City to give information to the United Nations Security Council about the efforts he made. There have been conflicts on the names of the committee members and on the work. Syrian government seeks amendment of the present constitution while their opposition wants a new one to be drafted from the beginning.
Updated 14:53 IST, September 24th 2019