The Syrian Negotiations Committee issued a statement on Sunday criticizing the Syrian regime’s statements about its readiness to resume the Syrian political dialogue at a time when the entire world is witnessing a complete state of paralysis due to the coronavirus pandemic, saying that these statements are false and deceptive.
In its statement, the committee expressed surprise at the statements from the regime’s minister of health saying that regime areas are free of infections and denying it had reached Syrian territory, at a time when the borders are still open with Iran and other countries invaded by the virus.
The commission’s statement said, “At a time when Syria is under the weight of destruction, displacement and arrest, the Assad regime continues to show its hypocrisy, arrogance, and concealment of the health situation in Syria, and leaves it prey to the coronavirus pandemic, with the minister of health coming out with a statement saying that his president and his army have gotten rid of all the viruses and germs in Syria. “
The statement added, “At this particularly difficult time, they pretend to have enthusiasm for the political process that they have long evaded and disrupted, and are sending the international envoy a letter saying that the national delegation is presenting the agenda of the negotiations with the small Constitutional Committee, and showing its readiness to enter a new round in Geneva next week.”
It said that this, “comes at a time when most of the countries of the world are closing their borders, and entry has stopped due to the coronavirus pandemic. They know that this is currently impossible, and so they make this deceptive bid to tell the world that they are ready for political dialogue. Moreover, the regime has rejected all six proposals in line with the commission’s mandate and powers set by the negotiating team in the Constitutional Committee.”
The statement pointed out that the regime was still insisting on the same agenda that it had previously set as a precondition before entering into any constitutional debate—which is not consistent with the given mandate and the procedural rules and basic principles governing the work of the Constitutional Committee.
In its statement, the Negotiations Committee called on the United Nations and the international community to take the necessary measures regarding the health situation in Syria, and to help stop the coronavirus pandemic, which has been covered up by the regime, and work to release Syrian detainees, and at least send inspection teams to inspect the medical situation in the regime’s prisons.
It pointed to the need for the United Nations and its international envoy to put an end to the game that plays with the fate of Syria and the Syrians, and to tell Russia—the Assad regime’s protector and backer—to abide by its pledges, and hold it responsible for covering up the regime’s disruption of the political process.
The Assad regime denies that there have been any coronavirus cases recorded in Syria, while taking measures described as precautionary last week, in a similar manner to those taken by the countries that announced there had been infections.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
