Third phase of Syrian Constitutional Committee in Geneva postponed after delegates test positive for coronavirus

GENEVA, Switzerland (North Press) – Meetings of the Syrian Constitutional Committee’s mini-committee stated on Monday the beginning of a third stage of consultations, which was supposed to last for five days but was postponed after members of the delegations tested positive for coronavirus.

The US State Department posted earlier on its official website that “Special Representative for Syria Engagement and Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Ambassador James Jeffrey, joined by Special Envoy for Syria Joel Rayburn, will travel to Geneva, Istanbul, and Ankara from August 22-28.”

Lebanese TV channel Al Mayadeen reported that disputes took place from the beginning of the committee’s discussion regarding the name, during which the Syrian government delegation started by calling itself the National Delegation and that it does not represent Assad government.

This led the opposition delegation to raise an objection and call on the Syrian delegation to adhere to the names agreed upon when establishing the Constitutional Committee and in agreement with UN.

Nine months of work of the Constitutional Committee’s mini-committee stopped due to disagreements over the agenda of the sessions’ work, in addition to the coronavirus outbreak.  

The mini-committee consists of 45 representatives from the Syrian government, opposition, and civil society equally, and is headed by two co-chairs, Ahmed Kuzbari, candidate of the Syrian government, and Hadi Bahra, the opposition candidate, and under the auspices of UN Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen. Currently members of both delegations are under quarantine, according to Russia Today.