Syrian govt. won’t ‘hand over power’ in Geneva

The Syrian government plans to participate in the Jan. 22 Geneva peace talks designed to end the country’s civil war but President Bashar al-Assad will not “hand over power”, a foreign ministry source said on Wednesday.

“Syria announces the participation of an official delegation under the orders of (Assad) and the demands of the Syrian people, with the top priority eliminating terrorism,” Agence France-Presse quoted the source as telling the official SANA news agency.

The Geneva peace conference is aimed at ending the Syrian conflict that is estimated to have killed more than 120,000 people and driven millions from their homes.

However, the source said the Syrian delegates will not hand over power.

The Syrian opposition stipulated that Assad must not have a role in the country’s future or in any transitional government.

The peace talks have the stated goal of agreeing on a transitional government to end the conflict.

“The official Syrian delegation will not go to Geneva to hand over power, but to take part (in talks) along with those who are committed to furthering the interests of the Syrian people and who support a political solution for Syria’s future,” the source said.

“Our people will not allow anyone to steal their right to choose their future and their leaders, and what is key about Geneva is to assert the Syrians’ rights, and not of those who are spilling the people’s blood.”

The source also criticized “the French, British and other foreign ministries as well as their agents in the Arab world who have insisted that there can be no place for President Assad in the transitional period.”

“The ministry reminds them that the age of colonialism is over, and they need to wake up... Otherwise it will be useless for them to attend Geneva II.”

It was the first formal response from Damascus to this week’s announcement of a Jan. 22 peace conference in Geneva, organized by the United Nations, Russia and the United States.

(With AFP)