Mohammed Alloush, who is also the representative of the powerful Jaish al Islam rebel faction in the Saudi-based High Negotiations Committee (HNC), said in a statement sent to Reuters that the peace talks had also failed to secure the release of thousands of detainees or to push Syria towards a political transition without President Bashar al Assad.
 
Even though UN Syria Envoy said last week a new date would be set for the resumption of the peace talks, this has not been the case so far.
 
 
Alloush also said that without any of the opposition demands met, peace talks were a “waste of time”, adding that he did not expect peace talks to resume so long as the Syrian government remained intransigent and not ready to enter “serious negotiations”.
The Syrian government does not recognize the right of the HNC to speak on behalf of the opposition. It also brands anyone opposing the regime it as terrorists.
 
Head of the main Syrian opposition delegation Asaad al-Zoubi also told al Hadath TV channel that he too wanted to be relieved of his post in the HNC but did not confirm he had taken a similar step.
 
A source in the opposition said Zoubi was replaced in a reshuffle of the HNC negotiating team that includes both military factions and political groupings.
 
Zoubi said no real peace talks had taken place four months since the latest rounds of Geneva peace talks were launched and opposition pleas to get the U.N.-backed process to pressure the Syrian authorities to allow humanitarian aid to besieged areas went unheeded.
 
The Syrian opposition suspended in April its formal participation in peace talks in protest at Syrian army offensives they said meant a ceasefire was effectively over. They were however under strong pressure not to quit altogether.