Russia: Syrian vote isn't obstacle to peace talks

Russia's UN ambassador insisted today that Syria's presidential election, which Bashar Assad is certain to win, is not an obstacle to a political settlement of the devastating war and urged the UN chief to quickly appoint a new envoy to revive stalled peace talks.
Vitaly Churkin criticized Western countries that believe yesterday's election has ruled out any progress on the political front as "fundamentally flawed." He said it's unacceptable "after just two five-day rounds of talks to say things are so stalemated that there is no need to continue those negotiations."
Churkin said a replacement for UN-Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is needed "to create conditions to move the talks between the government and opposition forward," stressing that there is no military solution to the three-year conflict which activists say has killed more than 160,000 people.

Brahimi resigned on May 13, marking a second failure by the United Nations and Arab League to end the war. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon blamed Syria's opposition but especially Assad's government, the divided UN Security Council which has been impotent and feuding influential nations for failing to help Brahimi achieve a peace settlement.
Churkin said Brahimi was "heavily supported" by the UN, not by the divided Arab League which expelled Syria, and Russia wants his replacement to be a UN envoy only, not a joint envoy. The secretary-general is reported to be considering this issue as well as a number of candidates from the Middle East and elsewhere.

Churkin held a wide-ranging news conference at the start of Russia's month-long presidency of the Security Council and expressed hope that members will adopt a resolution to speed up humanitarian aid in Syria, and a resolution demanding an immediate halt to deadly clashes in eastern Ukraine and the establishment of "humanitarian corridors."
But the council is deeply divided on both issues.
Churkin said Russia opposes a draft resolution proposed by Jordan, Australia and Luxembourg that would authorize the delivery of humanitarian aid into Syria through four border crossings without approval from the Assad government, under Chapter 7 of the UN Charters which means it can be enforced militarily. He backed a rival Russian draft, not under Chapter 7, that calls for local cease-fires to deliver humanitarian aid.