US: Syrians to vote 18 months after negotiations begin

WASHINGTON

Syrians will vote for a new parliament and possibly a new president, 18 months after negotiations between Syrian opposition members and the government begins, the State Department clarified on Tuesday.

The announcement follows a joint communiqué issued last weekend by world powers that sought to outline progress toward a political transition for Syria.

Negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition parties are tentatively scheduled to begin Jan. 1, but confusion arose about when precisely an 18-month period to hold elections would begin – either on Jan. 1 concurrent with negotiations or after negotiations produced a new government, which is tentatively scheduled for six months after they begin.

“Once that political process is established, and I don't have a date certain for that, no one does, then from that would be 18 months to hold free and fair elections,” said State Department spokesman Mark Toner.

He stressed Jan. 1 is a “target date”, not a hard deadline, for negotiations to begin.