The sources stressed the Syrian people should write their own constitution though a new transitional administration and claimed Russia's proposed constitution brought Syrian unity into question. The comments came ahead of a fourth round of peace talks, scheduled to resume on Thursday. UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, invited all parties, including Syrian regime and opposition delegations, to return to the negotiations.
However, the parties have different opinions on establishing a transitional government. While the Syrian opposition and Turkey seek a brand new authority with full powers, Russia and Iran claim a transition will need to share some powers with the existing regime of Bashar al-Assad. This week will be the first time the Syrian regime and opposition delegations have returned to Geneva since talks were suspended in April 2016.
Political transition roadmap
The grounds for Geneva negotiations are the first Geneva Declaration, which was adopted in June 2012. It aimed at ensuring a ceasefire, releasing detainees and delivering humanitarian assistance to besieged areas. A United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution, numbered 2254 and adopted in December 2015, called for a transitional administration after the opposition and regime delegations finalize details in negotiations.
According to resolution 2254, negotiations should be completed within six months to establish such an administration. It must then prepare a constitution and hold fair elections in a 12-month period.
Russian attitude
Russian diplomatic sources who spoke anonymously to Anadolu Agency ahead of the Geneva talks said Moscow was aiming to create a "national unity government" by including some opposition elements into the Assad government. In that way, Russia wants to remove the "transitional administration" from the Geneva agenda.
Although the UN resolution states a new constitution would be prepared by the transitional administration, last month Russia presented a draft constitution to the opposition in Kazakhstan talks. Moscow has argued that it wants to speed up the process.
Iran's plan
Iran wants to implement a four-article plan that includes an emergency ceasefire, the establishment of a national unity government, a guarantee of minority rights in the constitution and a presidential election. Tehran presented the plan in March 2014.
Opposition expectations
Syrian opposition groups want to implement the transitional administration by implementing UNSC resolution 2254. Their Geneva team met on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, deciding that a political transition should be main agenda of the Swiss talks. The delegation argued that the drafting of a constitution should be left to the final stage and prepared in accordance with UNSC resolution 2254.
Noting that the Assad regime's ceasefire violations continue, the opposition want to bring the issue of strengthening the truce to the Geneva talks. The negotiating team reiterated the demand for the ending of sieges on rebel-held areas, the opening of a humanitarian aid corridor and the release of detainees.
De Mistura's way
UN sources who talked to Anadolu Agency said de Mistura was discussing some formulas between the political transition process envisaged in the UN Security Council resolution and the demands of Russia and Iran. The Syrian policy of U.S. President Donald Trump is still unclear, while the Assad regime continues to describe the opposition negotiating team as terrorists.
The international community agreed on the resumption of political negotiations in Geneva, as the ceasefire declared on 30 Dec. 2016 under the guarantee of Turkey and Russia was successful in reducing the severity of the war.