MESOP NEWS INSIDER SYRIA : Russia Meets Alternative “Opposition”

January 28 – By Scott Lucas – eaworlview –    Days after political talks on Syria’s crisis, Russia is promoting an alternative “opposition”, with claims of a draft Constitution to resolve the six-year conflict.

On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hosted Syrian figures whom Moscow considers acceptable. Those attending included Randa Kassis, Louay Hussein, and Qadri Jamil as well as Jihad Maqdisi, the former spokesman for the regime.None of those present were from the opposition-rebel bloc at this week’s political talks in Astana, Kazakhstan. The opposition site Eldorar said both the Syrian National Coalition and the High Negotiations Committee turned down Moscow’s invitation.Pro-opposition activists also claimed some leading figures such as former heads of the Syrian National Coalition, Moaz al-Khatib and Ahmed Jarba turned down Moscow’s invitation.

Nevertheless, Lavrov said the “opposition” is setting up working groups on constitutional matters and forming a united delegation for talks under UN auspices in Geneva next month.

A Russian Foreign Ministry statement declared that the Syrian group was “given the draft constitution drawn up by Russian and Arab experts, which had been made public in Astana”.

Moscow said that it tabled the constitution at the Astana talks. It claimed the text included dropping religion as a criteria for electing a President, who currently has to be a Muslim, and setting a one-term limit of seven years. Sharia law would be barred as the basis for the Syrian system.However, Turkey — which worked with Russia to broker the talks — said that it never saw the draft.  There has also been confusion over some of the claimed terms. The initial reports said Syrian Kurds would be given autonomy. But on Friday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a press briefing, “No one is going to offer this, not in any persistent manner whatsoever, since that is just pointless.”