Syrian President Bashar al-Assad rejects ‘transitional body’ demanded by rebels during peace talks
Assad said a national unity government would be formed by various Syrian political forces – “opposition, independent, the current government and others”.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview published on Wednesday that Syria needs a national unity government that would secure the transition to a new constitution, rejecting the “transitional body” demanded by the opposition, which wants him to step down.
In the interview with Russia’s state news agency Sputnik, Assad said Syrian refugees will begin returning home when they see hope for improvement, adding that one of the main causes of migration is Western sanctions against Syria.
“First of all, regarding the definition of the ‘transitional period’ – such a definition does not exist,” Assad said in the interview with Sputnik, which published excerpts on its website.
He said the term political transition means the transition from one constitution to another.
“Thus, the transition period must be under the current constitution, and we will move on to the new constitution after the Syrian people vote for it,” Assad added.
His comments run counter to demands by the Syrian opposition for a “transitional body with full executive powers,” which major powers agreed on at a Geneva conference in June 2012. That agreement remains the basis of UN-mediated talks which are slated to resume in April.