MOSCOW. Jan 17 (Interfax) - A representative of a Syrian opposition force affiliated to the National Coalition says that the Geneva II international peace conference for Syria should be postponed but does not deny that this conference is necessary.
National Coalition leadership member, First Secretary of the Syrian National Council Hisham Marwah told the Voice of Russia radio they basically agreed with the idea to hold a peace conference in Geneva. He said it was clear to everybody that a final solution to the Syrian conflict had to be political and the coalition was adherent to the political settlement. At the same time, the National Coalition set certain conditions, which must be met for holding the Geneva conference, he said.
Marwah mentioned amongst the conditions the release of political prisoners by the Syrian regime, the lift of the governmental forces' blockade of certain areas of the country with the purpose of humanitarian relief deliveries and the pullout of foreign armed units from Syria, including the Lebanese Hezbollah units fighting for the government.
He said the coalition was ready to take part in the conference if its conditions were met. Otherwise, their attendance will mean their silent consent with the current state of affairs and will allow the Bashar al-Assad government stay in office for some time, he added.
In the opinion of Marwah, the international community will be unable to convince Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad of the need to form an interim body and to transfer power to it as required by the Geneva I accords. He said some signal had to be sent to display the world's ability to convince al-Assad at least of something.
He said it was his personal opinion that the Geneva conference should be delayed once again and the international community should do more to make it happen and bear fruit.