GENEVA (Sputnik) – The principles, listed in de Mistura’s final summary following the April round of peace talks, include the identification of "the most appropriate schedule and process for drafting the new constitution," as well as the "delineation of a clear and agreed timetable and set of benchmarks for the transition."
The issues selected by de Mistura are based on technical consultations and submissions received to date and are not final. De Mistura stressed in his summary that they do not represent his or the Syrian parties’ positions.
According to de Mistura, the parties to the Syrian talks need to agree on the "key political, legal and operational decisions to enable free and fair elections under UN supervision and to the satisfaction of the governance, including an appropriate legal framework for the operation of political parties."
The UN special envoy also said that standards for a national army as well as for the disarmament and re-integration of armed groups in Syria also need to be identified.
Instruments for overseeing security and intelligence institutions that will function during the transitional governance and "that go beyond general human rights" also need to be selected.
New Syrian Constitution Must Be Endorsed by Popular Referendum
Parties to the intra-Syrian talks agree that the country’s new constitution must be endorsed by popular referendum, the final April round of talks summary of UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura also said.
Commonalities between the participants of the talks on the political transition include "That the current preferred method for endorsement of the new constitution is by popular referendum," the document says.
