WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Xulam was commenting on Assad’s exclusive interview with Sputnik in which the Syrian president said he was ready to lead a transitional government that would work on preparing a new constitution as well as to hold elections.
#ASSAD TO #RiaNovosti & #Sputnik: Every Syrian citizen everywhere in the world has the right to vote.
— Syrian Presidency (@Presidency_Sy) 31 March 2016
"In the Syria of today, Assad has no choice but to stay… [but] only the balance of power can save him," Xulam said on Thursday. "That is why he wants Russians to be in the country just in case he needs them."
Xulam said that the Kurdish community and its representatives and military force that are fighting Daesh would welcome a federal system for the country, and he recognized that Russia was ready to consider the idea as well.
"Russians, to their credit, have said they are open to the idea of federation. Kurds will become the beneficiaries of it. It would be good for Assad as well even if he is in denial," Xulam said.
"What unites Assad and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is their dislike of ISIS [Daesh]. Kurds dislike ISIS as well. But they also like to keep Assad at arm’s length."
Assad told Sputnik that the transitional period must be carried out under the current Syrian constitution, but he also opposed the idea of federalization because Syria was too small a country for it to be effective.
Assad also told Sputnik that the majority of Kurds in Syria preferred to stay in a unified state and did not want to have to live in a federalized system.
