De Mistura says UN-observed elections in Syria in 18 months

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said Friday presidential and legislative elections in the country, which will be observed by the United Nations, will be held in the next 18 months.

“New elections ... should be held 18 months from the start of talks, that is from March 14. The elections, both presidential and parliamentary, will be under UN observation,” de Mistura said in an interview with Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti news agency.

A new round of UN-mediated peace talks between the Syrian government and foreign-backed opposition delegates will start on March 14. Negotiations are expected to end by March 24.

De Mistura said reaching an agreement on a new all-inclusive government would be one of the key points during the upcoming negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland. The other two main issues to be discussed are the adoption of a new constitution and the holding of elections.

“I hope that during the first stage of talks, we reach progress at least on the first question, it doesn't matter whether this is on paper,” said the UN envoy.

“We are not sending out new invitations,” de Mistura said, to the forthcoming intra-Syrian talks.

He underscored the importance of “ensuring as far as possible inclusiveness and participation of all Syrians who can make a contribution to Syria's future.”

Russia urges UN to include Kurds in Syria talks

Also on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged the United Nations to engage Kurds in the political process aimed at the resolution of the five-year crisis, warning that their exclusion would lead to a potential disintegration of Syria and separatist sentiments.

“I am convinced that Staffan de Mistura should take such a decision. Launching negotiations without the participation of this group would be a sign of weakness from the international community,” Lavrov told reporters at a joint news conference with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow.

Lavrov said leaving Kurds out of Geneva peace talks would be “a most serious infringement of the rights of a large and significant group living in Syria.”

The Russian foreign minister censured the Turkish government, saying, “Only Turks are blocking the invitation of Kurds from the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD).”

According to a February report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond Syria’s borders.

Damascus accuses Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar of funding and arming anti-Syria terrorist groups, including Daesh.

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