UN preparing proposal for elections and new Syrian constitution

NEW YORK, (Patria) - The United Nations will propose a deadline for holding elections and guidelines for constitutional reform to the conflicting parties in Syria, in an attempt to resume peace talks that are in stalemate, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura told the UN Security Council.

- It is time for the UN to offer some specific guidelines and thus encourage broader discussion. The UN has provided electoral assistance to most of its member states, so we have experience - said De Mistura, Reuters reports.

The UN could make recommendations on the deadline for elections in which all Syrians, including refugees and internally displaced Syrian population, would vote, as only such a process would be considered legitimate by Syrian citizens.

According to him, the UN could also help with constitutional reform, as well as with the establishment of a constitutional commission and a national dialogue body, with the Syrian people alone being responsible for drafting and adopting a new constitution.

The Security Council launched the peace process for Syria two years ago with instructions to negotiate a new government in the country, hold UN-supervised elections, and implement constitutional reform, but the eighth round of talks ended last week without dialogue.