Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy for Syria, ruled out the possibility of holding an election in Syria under the current regime.

Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy for Syria, ruled out in an exclusive interview with Al Arabiya, the possibility of holding an election in Syria under the current regime.

De Mistura stressed to Al Arabiya’s New York Bureau Chief Talal al-Haj, that the political transition remains a core point on the coming Geneva talks scheduled on March 23, saying reduced violence, as Astana ceasefire appears to hold, will certainly impact the talks.

He added: “Those with clouts to stop the fighting must reach an agreement between themselves. So far the cease-fire reached in Astana is holding because the guarantors agreed on the rules of the game. Russia, Turkey, and now Iran, hence why Astana talks are significant.”

“If we manage to halt the violence in Syria through a solid ceasefire, this will certainly help us in the Geneva talks.”