Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said the UN Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is not authorized to talk about presidential election in Syria as this is not part of his tasks.
Speaking to the Syrian Satellite TV channel on Friday, al-Zoubi said Brahimi’s talk on linking presidential election in Syria with Geneva talks and negotiating with some parties of the "opposition" abroad is not part of his mission as an international mediator.
“It’s not Brahimi’s mission to discuss sovereign issues related to the Syrian domestic affair,” al-Zoubi told the Syrian TV by phone, stressing that the UN Charter and the nature of Brahimi’s mission in the first place do not allow discussing issues that are at the core of internal affairs of countries.
“I believe Brahimi, by his talk, has overstepped his missions and powers, and he is not authorized to such talk unless that authorization falls under expressing the U.S. policy towards Syria and the way he previously played his role in many stages,” the Minister added.
He reiterated that it’s not Brahimi’s mission to carry out the U.S. policy in Syria, stressing that the decision to hold an election is up to the Syrian authorities according to the constitution.
Al-Zoubi affirmed that no one, even in the Syrian government, can disrupt a constitutional event within the time limits and constitutional texts, "and how for Brahimi, who is not Syrian and neither commissioned with that nor even concerned”.
The Minister added that Brahimi’s attempt to connect the issue of elections with the negotiations and his talk that the “opposition” would no longer be interested in talking with the government in case an election was held, “is not our business or concern” but that of the “opposition”.
Al-Zoubi lashed out at the international envoy for he seemed to have “forgotten Geneva Communique and where talk about the constitutional issue came”, adding that Brahimi has forgotten that his mission “is to sponsor negotiations between two sides, one of which is the Syrian government whose existence and legitimacy was based on the first place on the Syrian constitution”.
The Minister said he believes that Brahimi’s update to the Security Council was exploited in favor of expressing a U.S. agenda with regard to this issue.
“Brahimi should, if he really wants to remain a mediator and Geneva conference missions to succeed and stay committed to his role as an international mediator, reread Geneva Communique and respects his role so as to be able to go on with it,” said al-Zoubi.
He reiterated that Brahimi is demanded to be a “fair and neutral” mediator.
Al-Zoubi pointed out that Brahimi’s statements are concordant with the language which the “Coalition” delegation proposed in Geneva 2 talks and with the U.S. policy stated by more than one U.S. official over the past years.
He reaffirmed that Brahimi’s mission is specific as he, as a mediator, should work to bring closer viewpoints and try to find common points and not impose his own opinion or language.
Brahimi also should not seem to be representing another state like the US or standing for one of the two parties and recalling what the “opposition” said in Geneva, al-Zoubi noted
"Neither Brahimi nor any government, state or party have the right to interfere in the Syrian internal affair,” he added.
3/5/1403015 تحرير علي عبد سلمان
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