France and the EU sets 4 conditions for normalization with Damascus

Paris announced that it had put on the table its allies a paper outlining the conditions for normalization with Damascus, and accept the results of parliamentary and presidential elections in Syria, even if it resulted in the re-election of President Assad, and won’t be legitimate”, and proposed four principles of the collective position, namely:

First, to establish confidence-building measures on the ground, with a view to creating a secure and neutral environment before, during and after the elections, to ensure that the electoral process is credible, under adequate security conditions, while protecting the rights of all parties, including a ceasefire and the release of detainees.

Second, safeguards emphasizing the participation and access of IDPs and refugees to polling stations, as well as electoral education and awareness campaigns.

Third, concessional legal and practical conditions for multiparty voting, and with 12 million external refugees and internally displaced persons in Syria, it is critical that all Syrian diaspora citizens be able to vote, while also holding the right to stand for election in the upcoming elections.

Fourth, UN election oversight, strict neutrality in the electoral process, and prevention of any form of manipulation, while ensuring good post-conflict election preparation, UN supervision should be comprehensive, including the organization and conduct of elections, with support International safe electoral environment, very carefully monitored.

The UN envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen that the Constitutional Commission in Syria will prepare a draft paving for a political solution, stressing the work to provide guarantees that the Syrian Constitutional Committee won’t be subjected to any harassment.

In a speech to the UN Security Council on Syria, Pederson said half of civil society representatives on the Syrian Constitutional Commission are women, warning of continued suffering in Syria and despair among Syrians.

The UN envoy stressed that the Syrian people will approve the new constitution, pointing out that the constitutional committee won’t solve the Syrian crisis on its own, pointing out that the specter of regional explosion because of the crisis in Syria is still looming.

The UN envoy stressed the need to enable Syrians at home and abroad to participate in the elections, noting that the ceasefire in Syria is vital and will pave the way for the political process.