Syria’s main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) leader Nasr al-Hariri arrives in Geneva on May 16, 2017, to take part in a round of negotiations with UN Special Envoy.

:: The Syrian Free Army delegation suspended their participation in Geneva 6 talks, attributing the suspension to the lack of clarity regarding the strategic vision of the negotiations, reported Al Arabiya.

The delegation of the Syrian regime and representatives from the opposition agreed to the Geneva talks on its sixth round, on Thursday, in order to discuss a proposal to form a mechanism for drafting the constitution, presented by UN envoy Staffan de Mistura.

Al-Arabiya correspondent said that the approval of the two parties for further talks was a positive step. However, after it was reported that de Mistura withdrew his proposal on the constitution, there were expectations of modifications of the same under the supervision of international law experts.

The proposal forms a practical step that could pave the way for a solution or make some progress in the negotiating arena. The delegation of the Syrian regime met with legal experts to study how to form a joint committee with both parties and international experts on the other to draft a new constitution or constitutional mechanism.

Formation of a joint committee

In spite of the criticism De Mistura faced over the proposal, the opposition parties and the regime have returned to the UN envoy through a meeting of international experts to discuss the mechanism of forming a committee to draft the Syrian constitution and to overcome the objections and concerns of both parties.

The joint committee suggested by de Mistura will include members of the opposition and the Syrian regime, legal members from Cairo and Moscow platforms, with the rest of the seats from the UN negotiating team.

Officials in the opposition delegation in Geneva said on Wednesday that de Mistura’s proposal was not on the agenda, and that they had many reservations about it, especially as it diverted attention from the main opposition demands.

Some opposition members also wondered how to talk about a constitution or a constitutional mechanism at a time when the international community is unable to achieve any progress or change in the Syrian scene.