DAMASCUS: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Sunday his country must “eradicate terrorism” to find a political solution to its civil war, as he reportedly expressed a willingness to hold new elections.

Meeting a Russian parliamentary delegation as Moscow stepped up efforts for a political deal, Assad emphasised the need for greater security.

“The eradication of terrorist organisations will lead to the political solution that Syria and Russia seek and that will satisfy the Syrian people and preserve Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity,” state news agency SANA quoted Assad as saying.

The visit by Russian lawmakers came days after Assad’s own surprise trip to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin.

That trip and ramped-up Russian diplomacy have led to speculation that Moscow is pushing for a new political agreement to end the conflict that began with protests against Assad’s rule in March 2011.

But the shape of any such deal remains unclear, with Syria’s opposition firmly against Moscow leading peace efforts while pursuing an air campaign it launched in support of Assad on September 30.

A member of the Russian delegation said on Sunday that Assad had expressed a willingness to hold new parliamentary and presidential elections, but only after Syria is “liberated” from the self-styled Islamic State (IS) group.

“He is ready to conduct elections with the participation of all political forces who want Syria to prosper,” Russian lawmaker Alexander Yushchenko said by phone from Damascus.

Assad would run again “if the people are not against it”, Yushchenko added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that Syria needed to begin preparing for new elections. Syria last held parliamentary elections in May 2012, and is due to hold its next legislative vote in 2016.

But a presidential vote was held in June last year, with Assad re-elected for a seven-year term with 88.7 per cent of the vote.

That election was dismissed as a “farce” by the opposition and its supporters, with voting held only in government-controlled areas and millions of the displaced and refugees unable to vote.

It is unclear whether new elections could be held under different circumstances, and Syria’s opposition has dismissed holding a vote now as absurd.

Rebel forces were equally dismissive of Lavrov’s offer on Saturday of Russian support for “patriotic” opposition forces fighting against the IS group.

While Russia says its aerial campaign launched last month is targeting IS and other “terrorists”, moderate and Islamist rebels say they have been the real focus, not the IS jihadists.

Syria’s opposition and backers, including Washington and Saudi Arabia, also insist Assad can have no role in the country’s future, a position that Moscow and Damascus reject.

On Sunday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said there had been “some progress so far and positions are coming closer” on a Syria solution.

But he said no agreement had been reached and reiterated “Bashar al-Assad will have no role in Syria’s future”.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2015

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