NEW YORK: The US and several Western allies on Tuesday accused the Syrian regime of deliberately delaying the drafting of a new constitution to waste time until presidential elections in 2021, and avoid UN-supervised voting as called for by the UN Security Council.

US Deputy Ambassador Richard Mills urged the Security Council to 鈥渄o everything in its power鈥� to prevent Bashar Assad regime from blocking agreement on a new constitution in 2020. The Trump administration believes Assad鈥檚 hope is to 鈥渋nvalidate the work鈥� of UN special envoy Geir Pedersen who has been trying to spearhead action on a constitution, and the council鈥檚 call for a political transition.

The Security Council resolution adopted in December 2015 unanimously endorsed a road map to peace in Syria that was approved in Geneva on June 30, 2012 by representatives of the UN, Arab League, EU, Turkey and all five permanent Security Council members 鈥� the US, Russia, China, France and Britain.

It calls for a Syrian-led political process starting with the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with UN-supervised elections. The resolution says the free and fair elections should meet 鈥渢he highest international standards鈥� of transparency and accountability, with all Syrians 鈥� including members of the diaspora 鈥� eligible to participate.

At a Russian-hosted Syrian peace conference in January 2018, an agreement was reached to form a 150-member committee to draft a new constitution. That took until September 2019, and since then only three meetings have been held with little progress.

Pedersen, the UN envoy, told the Security Council on Tuesday he was unable to convene a fourth meeting in October because the government wouldn鈥檛 accept a compromise agenda which the opposition agreed to. During his just concluded visit to Damascus, he said there was 鈥渟ome valuable narrowing of the differences鈥� that could enable consensus on agendas for the next two meetings.

鈥淚f we are able to find agreement in the next two days, it should be possible to meet in Geneva sometime in the month of November,鈥� Pedersen said, dropping the Nov. 23 date in his prepared speech.

Mills, the US envoy, urged Pedersen 鈥渢o take any measures he thinks are appropriate to facilitate the parties鈥� efforts ... and also to identify to the council who is blocking progress.鈥�

鈥淪yria is wholly unprepared to carry out elections in a free, fair and transparent manner that would include the participation of the Syrian diaspora,鈥� Mills said. 鈥淭his is why we need the constitutional committee to work, and why we need the UN to accelerate its planning to ensure Syria鈥檚 upcoming elections are credible.鈥�

German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen called Assad鈥檚 鈥渄elaying and obstruction tactics鈥� on the constitutional committee鈥檚 work 鈥渏ust detestable.鈥�

He said Russia, Syria鈥檚 most important ally, 鈥渟hould finally use its influence by, for instance, just cutting military aid and stopping its support, so that the Syrian regime finally plays ball.鈥�

Syria鈥檚 tactics are clear, Heusgen said. 鈥淭hey want to waste time until the presidential elections in 2021. The regime should not have any illusions. The elections will not be recognized if they are held under the present circumstances.鈥�

French Ambassador Nicolas De Riviere also criticized Assad鈥檚 鈥渞efusal to engage in good faith鈥� and called for preparations to begin for UN-supervised elections that include the diaspora. France won鈥檛 recognize results that don鈥檛 comply with these provisions, he said, stressing: 鈥淲e will not be fooled by the regime鈥檚 attempts to legitimize itself.鈥�

Russia鈥檚 ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, made no mention of the April presidential election and countered that Syrians must have 鈥渢he opportunity to negotiate without interference from the outside.鈥�

鈥淭he work of the constitutional committee should not be subject to any deadlines,鈥� he said, expressing hope that Pedersen鈥檚 mediation will enable the committee鈥檚 work to continue 鈥渋n line with the agenda agreed by the Syrians.鈥�

Russia also sparred with Western ambassadors over its veto threats that led to the closure of two border crossings to deliver aid to Syria 鈥� one in the northeast and one in the northwest 鈥� leaving only one crossing to Idlib in the northwest.

The US, Germany, France, Britain, Belgium and others criticized the border crossing closures.

UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told the council that Syrian government deliveries across conflict lines to the northeast are 鈥渘ot delivering at the scale or frequency required to meet the current health needs.鈥� He said one hospital received only 450 gowns in April, and another received nothing for its maternity wing.

Lowcock also said 鈥渢he situation of families across Syria is truly desperate,鈥� citing food prices more than 90 percent higher than six months ago.

Russia鈥檚 Nebenzia responded, noting 鈥渨ith satisfaction the progress in UN humanitarian deliveries from inside Syria including through cross-line routes,鈥� saying this 鈥減roves鈥� the government is providing aid to people including in areas not under its control.