UN Tackles Power Transition in Syria on Deadly Day of Protests
January 28, 2012, 11:11 AM ESTBy Flavia Krause-Jackson and Nadeem Hamid
Jan. 28 (Bloomberg) -- The United Nations decision-making body argued over a resolution that would pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to transfer power to his deputy amid one of the deadliest days of protests in the 11-month uprising.
As the UN Security Council met on the Syrian crisis yesterday, security forces killed at least 102 people, according to an opposition group, the General Committee of The Syrian revolution. Russia reiterated its opposition to a resolution that Arab and Western nations want to bring to a vote as early as next week.
“Unfortunately, the draft that we saw today not only ignored our red lines, but also added some new elements that we find unacceptable as a matter of principle,” Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters after yesterday’s meeting. “The Security Council cannot go about imposing political solutions in crisis situations in various countries of the world.”
To mollify Russia, which says Western powers are seeking regime change in Syria, the draft underwent three changes. Previous language that urged Assad to relinquish power was replaced with a call for him to delegate power to his deputy, a move that could leave Assad the nominal leader even if he is devoid of powers, according to a UN diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are private.
Sticking Points
Still, that may not go far enough to appease veto-wielding Russia, which together with China, blocked a European-led Oct. 4 attempt to sanction Syria for the crackdown on protesters. Germany’s UN envoy, Peter Wittig, said yesterday that the parts of the resolution that tackle the transition of power are “one of the main sticking points.”
Russia, which initially had been in favor of the Arab League taking ownership of the Syrian crisis, has become increasingly critical of the 22-member body since it imposed sanctions and outlined a peace plan for a transfer of power.
The draft is “an Arab League-imposed outcome of a political process which has not yet taken place,” Churkin said. “The Arab League may have its ideas of where that political dialogue should go” but the “Security Council cannot be a tool to impose specific solutions on countries.”
Almost a year into the unrest, the European Union and the U.S. have yet to overcome Russia’s resistance at the UN to efforts to hold Assad responsible for a crackdown that the UN estimates has killed more than 5,000 people.
Russia leads critics in the 15-member Security Council who say a UN mandate in Libya was abused to bring down Muammar Qaddafi and that Western powers are seeking to repeat that scenario in Syria. The U.S. and Europe say Russia is using the precedent as an excuse not to act against a country that buys weapons from it.
Straw Men
“A lot of straw men are being put up in order to knock them down,” British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said of the Russian concerns about arms embargoes, sanctions, and a Libya- style military intervention in Syria. “You shouldn’t be fooled by those who are claiming there are all sorts of things in the text, trying to refight battles over Libya.”
Negotiations will begin with a view to “moving to a vote very quickly next week,” he said.
Arab League Secretary-General Nabil El-Arabi and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani plan to travel to New York this weekend and present Syria’s crisis dossier to the Security Council on Jan. 31. The draft resolution affirms a transition plan put forward by the Arab League calling for a national unity government within two months to implement a peaceful handover of power.
“The objections that have been raised have actually been raised against the decisions by the Arab League,” French Ambassador Gerard Araud told reporters. Next week, “will be a good opportunity” for critics to ask the Arab League directly “is it regime change or is it not?”
--Editors: Justin Blum, John Walcott
To contact the reporters on this story: Flavia Krause-Jackson in United Nations at fjackson@bloomberg.net; Nadeem Hamid in Washington at nhamid3@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: John Walcott at jwalcott9@bloomberg.net
