Assad ‘Willing to Form New Govt’ With Opposition

Saudi Gazette ^ | Mar 31, 2016

[nickcarraway]

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said it would not be difficult to agree on a new government including opposition figures, but his opponents responded on Wednesday that no administration would be legitimate while he remained in office.

Assad, bolstered by military victory in the desert city of Palmyra, was quoted by Russia’s RIA news agency as saying a new draft constitution could be ready in weeks and a government that included opposition, independents and loyalists could be agreed.

While the distribution of portfolios and other technical issues would need to be discussed at Geneva peace talks, which resume next month, “these are not difficult questions”, Assad said.

Opposition negotiators immediately dismissed Assad’s remarks, saying that a political settlement could be reached only by establishing a transitional body with full powers, not another government under Assad.

“What Bashar al-Assad is talking about has no relation to the political process,” said George Sabra of the High Negotiations Committee.

The United States also rejected Assad’s comments. “I don’t know whether he envisioned himself being a part of that national unity government. Obviously that would be a nonstarter for us,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

Syria’s crisis erupted five years ago with protests against Assad which were put down with force. It descended into a civil war which has killed more than 250,000, drawn in global military powers and helped Daesh (so-called IS) establish its self-declared caliphate. Nearly five million refugees have been driven abroad.

Economic costs of war At a conference in Geneva, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on countries to resettle nearly half a million Syrian refugees in the next three years.

“This demands an exponential increase in global solidarity,” he said, though his appeal won immediate responses from only three countries – Italy, Sweden and the United States.

Assad told RIA the war had cost more than $200 billion in economic losses and damage to infrastructure. That is in line with a UN-backed body which estimates physical damage at $90 billion, with an additional $169 billion of accumulated losses from a collapse in GDP to less than half the 2011 level.

Despite Assad’s upbeat assessment of the chances for a political solution, his comments reflected deep differences with the opposition. It says that for the last four years international agreements on Syria’s future have centered on the principle of setting up a transitional governing body. Assad’s opponents have understood that such a body would have full powers, and that he would not play a further role.

But the president said the very idea of a transitional body was “illogical and unconstitutional”.

“That’s why the solution is forming a national unity government which prepares for a new constitution,” he said, adding that its formation would be agreed in Geneva.

[Gen.Blather]

Forming a government with the opposition would be impossible. They aren’t arguing with each other over socialism vs. capitalism or freedom vs. slavery. Their disagreements are even more fundamental. It is hard for us in the west to realize this. Eventually, Assad would need to meet with his new partners and they might sacrifice themselves to kill him. If Assad is making this offer it is for appearances so he can seem reasonable. If they really wanted to mess with him they could agree. But, most likely the politician who agreed would be assassinated within days.

To paraphrase one observer who has spent time with many of the various fighters; what the west doesn’t understand is that each party wants the other parties dead. Whoever wins will commit genocide on the others.

[Trumpinator]

I am guessing he wants to reconcile with the former ba’athist elements to lock out the islamists.

[Fitzy_888]

First, not our problem.

Otherwise, understand how the Assad’s have kept an iron grip on authority AGAINST a 60% plus Sunni majority. Assad, like his father, deals directly with 50-60 key people is his government. These people don’t have board meetings. Any coalition among these people is a threat.

Trust that there are no Sunni’s holding any high position in government, holding senior military positions and certainly no military pilots. Can he risk a disgruntled Sunni dropping a bomb on his palace -no!

Where Sadam Huessain was a Sunni suppressing a Shia majority, Assad (Alewite -Shia sect) is suppressing a Sunni majority.

Depose Assad and his (Alewite/Shiite) government and it’s Iraq all over again, but with a Sunni majority.

[nickcarraway]

First, not our problem.

I agree it's not our problem, in the sense we shouldn't get involved. But we do have to watch it, because it could become our problem. But I actually think the events are somewhat in our favor. Syria's split had actually helped us. We aren't the focus of the Middle East now.