Russia argues Syria elections necessary

Russia’s foreign minister says Syria’s parliamentary elections are needed to shore up its existing state structures until peace talks pave way for a new vote.

Sergey Lavrov says Wednesday’s elections are necessary to prevent a “vacuum of power” in Syria. He adds that the peace talks set to restart in Geneva this week should lead to an agreement on the country’s new constitution and new elections.

Russia has been a crucial ally of President Bashar Assad’s government throughout the five-year civil war and launched an air campaign against insurgents last year.

Western leaders and members of the Syrian opposition have denounced the elections, which are only being held in government-controlled areas, as a sham and a provocation that undermines the Geneva peace talks.

Polling stations have been set up in 12 of Syria’s 14 provinces, excluding the northern province of Raqqa, controlled by the Islamic State group, and the northwestern province of Idlib, controlled by the al-Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front and other insurgent groups.

Britain says the Syrian government’s decision to hold elections in the war-divided country shows “how divorced it is from reality.”

The UK government says in a statement that Wednesday’s elections are not in line with a UN Security Council resolution calling for elections in Syria after an 18-month transitional process.

The statement says the elections “cannot buy back legitimacy by putting up a flimsy facade of democracy.”

It notes that hundreds of thousands of people live in besieged towns and cities, and millions have fled their homes — many into exile — and thus cannot vote.

Britain also urges “the regime’s backers, especially Russia” to pressure Syria’s government to engage in discussion about political transition in UN-sponsored peace talks resuming Wednesday in Geneva.

— AP