U.N. EXCLUDES ONE THIRD OF SYRIA, MOSTLY KURDS, FROM CONSTITUTION COMMITTEE

"A new UN committee tasked with writing a Syrian constitution has excluded voices from one third of the country and may be given foreign powers a veto over which Syrian voices are allowed, according to reports. Despite claims by the UN's Geir Pedersen that the UN would have 'Syrians sitting together,' including voices from the diaspora, large groups appear to be excluded.

The committee was announced last week by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and will meet in Geneva on October 30. The committee is supposed to include 'members of President Bashar al-Assad's government and opposition representatives,' according to reports. The agreement was made between the 'Syrian Arab Republic' and the Syrian Negotiations Commission and is intended to be a 'credible, balance and inclusive Constitutional Committee that will be facilitated by the UN.'

Unfortunately, like many UN actions it is the precise opposite of the language embodied in its formation. Critics say it is neither balanced or inclusive, excluding voices from the larger Kurdish groups in eastern Syria and largely excluding most Syrians from the process, erring instead on the side of Assad and Turkish-backed opposition groups to have a veto over the participation of others..."