By HASSAN BARARI, ARABNEWS
Unfortunately, while the Arabs agree on the need to see the back of the regime, they have not yet done their homework as to what should be done once the regime is on the run.
It is hard to avoid the feeling that Syria’s decisive moment is fast approaching. Much progress has been made in the United Nations that may finally pave the way for an agreed upon international plan.
Although the demand that President Bashar Assad should step down remains a sticking point among different important players, the Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin to the United Nations appeared upbeat. In his words, “I think we have a much better understanding of what we need to do to reach a consensus.”
The deliberations at the Security Council were based on the Arab League peace plan. The plan is clear regarding the mechanism for pacifying the situation. President Assad must step down handing power to his deputy, a new government with the opposition to be formed, presidential and Parliamentary elections to take place according to a specific timetable. In other words, the Arab League plan is the mechanism to affect a peaceful change of regime in Syria.
It transpired that Russia is under pressure as well. The Russian decision makers realized that their ability to protect a bloody regime in Damascus is curtailed by developments on the ground. The resilience of the Syrian protesters and the success of the Syrian Free Army forced many players to reconsider their positions.