Russia says Assad ready for election
MOSCOW—Syria’s President Bashar Assad is ready to stand in a new presidential election, a Russian lawmaker said on Sunday.
“He is ready to conduct elections with the participation of all political forces who want Syria to prosper,” Russian lawmaker Alexander Yushchenko said by phone after meeting Assad in the Syrian capital.
Assad said he was ready to take part in the polls “if the people were not against it,” Yushchenko added.
The Kremlin wants Syria to prepare for parliamentary and presidential elections, as Moscow intensified its drive to convert its increased clout with Damascus into a political settlement, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The Kremlin, Assad’s strongest foreign ally, has spoken broadly about the need for elections in Syria before. But Lavrov’s comments were its most specific call for political renewal yet and came just days after a surprise visit by Assad to Moscow.
“External players cannot decide anything for the Syrians. We must force them to come up with a plan for their country where the interests of every religious, ethnic and political group will be well protected,” Lavrov told Russian state TV in an interview broadcast on Saturday. “They need to prepare for both parliamentary and presidential elections.”
Lavrov on Saturday phoned US Secretary of State John Kerry to discuss organizing talks between the Syrian government and opposition, the Russian foreign ministry said. It said the two men had spoken of the need to tap the potential of other countries in the region to push the political process forward.
John Kirby, a Department of State spokesperson, confirmed the conversation.
“They focused on their shared pursuit of options to achieve a political transition, and discussed the potential for future multilateral meetings on the topic,” Kirby said.
Moscow said Assad must be part of any transition, and that the Syrian people would decide who would rule them. Washington said it could tolerate Assad during a short transition period, but that he would then have to exit the political stage.
Also, in comments which marked a shift in Russia’s position, Lavrov said that Russia’s Air Force would be ready to help Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels, if it knew where they were.
According to Moscow, it has struggled to identify areas controlled by moderate rebels and has urged the West to help build bridges.
His offer drew skepticism from FSA commanders.
“I will not talk to my killer,” said Hassan Haj Ali, head of the Liwa Suqour al-Jabal rebel group, which had been bombed in recent weeks by Russian warplanes.
Russia’s planes have flown 934 sorties and destroyed 819 militant targets in Syria since the start of its operation on Sept. 30, the defense ministry said on Saturday.
Washington has criticized Moscow for so far focusing most of its firepower on armed groups supported by the West and its allies rather than the Islamic State group, angering the Kremlin which said it was impossible to make a distinction between terrorists.