Syrian truce under strain

Beirut, January 9 

A Syrian truce brokered by Russia and Turkey was under growing strain on Monday as rebels vowed to respond to government violations and President Bashar al-Assad said the army would retake an important rebel-held area near Damascus.

Assad, in comments to French media, also said his government was ready to negotiate on “everything” at peace talks his Russian allies hope to convene in Kazakhstan, including his own position within the framework of the Syrian constitution.

But he indicated any new constitution must be put to a referendum and it was up to Syrians to elect their president. His opponents have insisted throughout nearly six years of civil war that he must leave power under any future peace deal.

But since Russia joined the war on his side in late 2015, his government’s position on the battlefield has strengthened dramatically, giving him greater leverage now than at any time since the war’s earliest days.

The ceasefire which came into effect on December 30 aims to pave the way for the new peace talks which Russia hopes to convene with Turkish and Iranian support. But no date has been set for the talks and the warring sides have accused each other of truce violations.

Latest peace initiative

Russia, Turkey and Iran, the three foreign powers involved in the latest peace drive, plan to divide Syria into informal zones of influence under an outline deal they reached, sources told Reuters in Moscow last month.

But such a deal would still need buy-in from Assad, his opponents and, eventually, the Gulf states and Washington. Rebel groups fighting under the “Free Syrian Army” banner have already frozen any discussion of their possible participation in the Astana talks. — Reuters

Ready to negotiate presidency: Assad 

• Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said he was ready to hold a referendum in the war-ravaged country over his presidency. The Syrian President said any constitutional matter must be put to a referendum, and it was up to the Syrian people to elect the President
• In an interview with a French media outlet, Assad, when asked if he would be willing to step down as President, said: “Yes, but my position is related to the Constitution. So, if they want to discuss this point, they have to discuss the Constitution, and it is not owned by the government or the President or by the opposition” IANS

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