International Reactions on Syria Referendum

Local Editor

The West has kept pressure on Syria as it slammed Sunday referendum. However, the other camp, led by Russia, continued backing the regime as it hailed the vote. Syrians voted on Sunday in a referendum on a new constitution. Media outlets reported the turnout of the vote was “remarkable”, adding that the committees tasked with overseeing the referendum process began counting votes with results set to be announced on Monday. WEST’S STANCE U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called the poll “a cynical ploy” and urged Syrians who still support Assad to “turn against” him. It’s a phony referendum and it is going to be used by Assad to justify what he’s doing to other Syrian citizens,” Clinton said in an interview with CBS News in Rabat, Morocco. “The longer you support the regime’s campaign of violence against your brothers and sisters, the more it will stain your honor,” she added, addressing Assad supporters, especially the military. “If you refuse, however, to prop up the regime or take part in attacks ... your countrymen and women will hail you as heroes.” German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle described the referendum as a farce” and a “sham vote”. For his part, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the vote had no credibility. “Yesterday's referendum vote has fooled nobody to open polling stations and continue to open fire on civilians in the country has no credibility in the eyes of the world”, Hague told reporters as he arrived for EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels. We continue to do what we can to support the Arab League plan and a peaceful transition in Syria," he said, adding that the Arab League has put some ideas on a peacekeeping force. "For that to work properly there has to be peace to keep. At the moment we don't have that," he said. "We do continue to have a problem at the UN Security Council, "Hague noted as he recalled Russian and Chinese vetoes at the UNSC against a resolution condemning Syria. The British FM also expressed confidence that today's meeting in Brussels would agree new sanctions on the Assad regime. REACTIONS OF ALLIES On the other hand, Russian strongman Vladimir Putin hit out at the West's "cynical" stance on Syria. He accused the West of "lacking the patience to work out an adjusted and balanced" resolution that also required opposition forces to halt their fire and pull back from flashpoint cities such as Homs. "A refusal to do so was cynical," Putin wrote in the final newspaper article of seven outlining his vision for Russia. His comments were followed by an official Russian welcome of Sunday's vote on a new Syrian constitution that has already been dismissed by both members of the opposition and the West. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the vote "an important step" that represented "movement toward democratization". Russia’s ally, China hadn’t an official comment on Sunday vote. However, China's Middle East envoy, Wu Sike, said on Thursday that China supported all efforts that would conduct a peaceful solution to the Syrian issue. "China will continue to keep in touch with all concerned parties in the United Nations, with the Arab League and with the Syrian government and all of the political parties," Wu said. Earlier this month, China, along with Russia, vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for a regime change in Syria.

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