UN Security Council meets on Syria

UN Security Council meets on Syria

The UN Security Council will meet today, Friday, to discuss the next move on Syria and council envoys said members will be given a new Western-Arab draft resolution, as fighting between troops and rebels edged closer to Syria's capital Damascus.

Morocco is expected to distribute at the meeting, the new draft resolution that supports the Arab League's call for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to transfer his powers to his deputy to set up a unity government and prepare for elections after a ten-month crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators.
  
Resolution vote

The Security Council could vote as early as next week on the resolution, which diplomats from Britain and France are drafting in consultation with Qatar, Morocco, the United States, Germany and Portugal, envoys said.

It replaces a Russian text that Western diplomats say is too weak.

The Moroccan delegation met on Thursday with Russian and Chinese diplomats to present them with the latest version of the draft, council diplomats told reporters.

It was not immediately clear what their initial response was.
  
Political transition

The draft, calls for a ‘political transition’ but not for UN sanctions against Damascus, something Moscow has said it would not support.

Russia, together with China, vetoed a European-drafted resolution in October that condemned Syria and threatened it with sanctions.

It is unclear whether Russia is ready to wield its veto again to block council action on Syria.

Several Western envoys told reporters that Russia might find it difficult to veto a resolution that is simply intended to provide support for the Arab League.

Reuters/Ehimen/Cokey