UN calls for ‘free and fair’ elections in Syria

The UN envoy to Syria called on Wednesday for “free and fair” elections after the ouster of president Bashar al-Assad, as he voiced hope for a political solution for Syrian areas. Assad fled Syria following a lightning offensive spearheaded by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), more than 13 years after his crackdown on democracy protests precipitated one of the deadliest wars of the century. He left behind a country scarred by decades of disappearances and the collapse of his rule on December 8 stunned the world and sparked celebrations around Syria and beyond. Years of civil war have also left the country heavily dependent on aid, deeply fragmented, and desperate for justice and peace.

Addressing reporters in Damascus, UN special envoy Geir Pedersen said “there is a lot of hope that we can now see the beginning of a new Syria”. “A new Syria that... will adopt a new constitution... and that we will have free and fair elections when that time comes, after a transitional period,” he said. Calling for immediate humanitarian assistance, he also said he hoped to see an end to international sanctions levied against Syria over Assad’s abuses.

HTS military chief Murhaf Abu Qasra said Kurdish-held areas would be integrated under the country’s new leadership, adding that the group rejects federalism. “Syria will not be divided,” he said, adding that “the Kurdish people are one of the components of the Syrian people.” He said HTS would be “among the first” factions to dissolve its armed wing and integrate into the armed forces, after the leader of the group ordered the disbanding of rebel organisations. “All military units must be integrated into this institution,” Abu Qasra said.

HTS has also vowed justice for the crimes committed under Assad’s rule, including the disappearance of tens of thousands of people into the complex web of detention centres and prisons that was used for decades to silence dissent. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, more than 100,000 people died or were killed in custody from 2011.

The country’s new rulers have sought to keep its institutions going and, on Wednesday, a commercial flight took off from Damascus airport to Aleppo, the first since Assad was toppled and fled to Russia. They have also stepped up engagement with countries that had long seen Assad as a pariah, and with international institutions. EU chief Ursula Von der Leyen said the bloc would intensify its “direct engagement” with the new administration. Britain, France and Germany have sent delegations to Damascus, while Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Rome was “ready to engage with the new Syrian leadership”, but urged “maximum caution”. Members of the UN Security Council, which includes Assad ally Russia as well as the United States, called on Tuesday for an “inclusive and Syrian-led” political process. “This political process should meet the legitimate aspirations of all Syrians, protect all of them and enable them to peacefully, independently and democratically determine their own futures,” a statement said. — AFP