Roundup: Disagreements over future of Assad re-emerge ahead of Geneva peace talks

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem and representatives of the opposition on Saturday made diverging comments on whether to discuss the future of President President Bashar al-Assad at the imminent peace talks in Geneva.

"We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency... Bashar al-Assad is a red line," Moallem told a Damascus news conference.

The opposition has insisted that the removal of Assad is a must to end a prolonged civil war that has already killed 250,000 people and displaced more.

In a fresh rendition of its long-held position regarding Assad, chief opposition negotiator Mohammad Alloush said in Geneva that a national transitional period in Syria could only begin "with the fall, or death, of Bashar al-Assad."

"It cannot start with the presence of the regime, or the head of this regime still in power," reports quoted him as saying.

Moallem said there's no reason for the opposition to come to Geneva if maintains its stance.

While confirming that the government delegation would take part in the renewed talks slated for Monday, he warned that the talks would fail if the opposition had "delusions that they will take power in Geneva that they failed to take in battle."

The Syrian top diplomat also lambasted U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura for overstepping. Mistura said earlier that the possibility of federalism for Syria has not been taken off the table, and a presidential election would take place within 18 months.

"As a Syrian citizen, I say we reject talks about a federal Syria. We are with the unity of Syria, as a territory and people."

He added that the UN envoy has no right to talk about presidential elections in Syria. "The future of Syria is decided by the Syrian people," the minister said.

"We are going to Geneva to make the dialogue a success, and this doesn't rely on us solely, but on the other parties as well," he noted.

The date for the resumption of intra-Syria talks in Geneva has been postponed several times "due to logistic and practical matters," according to Mistura, before the date of March 15 was agreed upon, which coincides with the 5th anniversary of the start of the Syrian civil war.

Due to mediation efforts led by the United Nations, representatives of the Syrian government and opposition came to Geneva late January for indirect talks, with Mistura shuttling between both sides.

The talks ended on Feb. 3 with no tangible results, but intensified international efforts have managed to establish a ceasefire in the country to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid. Endi