Moscow Believes Syrian Gov't Person Must Head Future Constitutional Commission- Lavrentyev

GENEVA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th September, 2018) Moscow considers that a representative from the Syrian government bloc should head the future constitutional commission, Russian special presidential envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev said on Tuesday.

"It is too early to talk about procedural matters. Our position with regard to the chairman of the constitutional commission remains the same. It should be headed by a representative from the government bloc in the constitutional commission, because the Syrian government is the legal representative of the country to the United Nations, and it is the Syrian government that should lead the process of the constitutional commission. Are there any other options? They are probably possible, but again, this is the subject for a further, very detailed discussion," Lavrentyev told reporters after talks in Geneva.

Lavrentyev added that the future commission will have a narrow committee of 45 persons, who will be drafting the new constitution and preparing amendments.

"This narrow committee will be formed on the same principles used in the formation of the constitutional commission of 150 people � one third will be presented by the government, another third will be presented by the opposition, and one more third by representatives of civil society. What are the principles of selection of representatives of civil society? Again, this will be within the same framework that we have formed for a general constitutional commission of 150 people," Lavrentyev said.