European Parliament: The upcoming Syrian presidential elections in Syria are without credibility and we do not recognize them
Members of the European Parliament expressed their concern about the continuing “political impasse” in Syria, and the lack of progress in finding a solution in Syria, stressing that the upcoming presidential elections are “without credibility.”
And the official website of the European Parliament published a decision stating that a permanent solution to the Syrian conflict cannot be achieved by military means.
The decision criticized the Assad regime for its unwillingness to negotiate the drafting of the constitution, despite the Syrian opposition’s willingness to cooperate.
The European Parliament added that normal diplomatic relations cannot be resumed, except after fundamental changes in Syria.
He indicated that parliamentarians oppose any normalization of relations with the Syrian regime, amid the lack of radical progress on the ground with steady and reliable engagement in the comprehensive political process.
They stressed that the upcoming Syrian presidential elections “completely lack credibility in the eyes of the international community.”
The European Parliament condemned all massacres and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Syria, and accused the Syrian regime, Russia, Iran and Turkey of being behind them, calling for the release of 130,000 political prisoners.
Parliamentarians called on member states of the European Union to maintain sanctions against Syria.
568 deputies voted in favor of the resolution in the European Parliament, while 79 were against it, and 37 others abstained.
In their decision, the members called on the European Union to increase its financial and political response to the Syrians, as 90% of the population lives below the poverty line.
Emphasizing that those responsible for international crimes should be prosecuted, members of Parliament called on the European Commission to present a European Union action plan on impunity, with a special chapter on Syria, with the aim of prosecuting war criminals in the European Union.
The European Union High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, confirmed on March 9, that the application of the sanctions imposed on the Syrian regime would not be abandoned before the start of the political transition in Syria.
The Assad regime is planning to hold presidential elections between April and June, without announcing candidates yet.
