A DRAFT Russian peace plan to end Syria’s civil war was criticised by both sides yesterday, with government supporters and rebels taking opposite positions on the role of President Bashar al-Assad.

Moscow’s proposal is for an 18-month period to reshape the country’s constitution, which Syria’s people would then vote on in a referendum followed by presidential and parliamentary elections.

It doesn’t take a stand on Mr Assad’s future, except to say that he shouldn’t chair the constitutional commission.

But rebel groups backed by the West have demanded that the president go before they even consider joining substantial peace talks, which Russia proposes should be led by United Nations envoy Staffan de Mistura.

And there is a lingering question over who would attend on behalf of the rebels. Russia suggests “a united delegation of opposition groups,” but the so-called “moderate” rebels have frequently feuded among themselves.

In any case, they have been increasingly marginalised by the rise of religious fundamentalists including Islamic State (Isis) and the Nusra Front.

The draft makes a distinction between the two sets of insurgents and calls for anti-terrorist operations to continue while a ceasefire is brought in elsewhere.

And a further point — that the end result must ensure the “secular and democratic character” of the country — rams it home.

Reaction to Moscow’s “vision” from the parties concerned was frosty.

Syrian MP Sharif Shehadeh, of the ruling Ba’ath Party, said the idea of holding a presidential vote before 2021 was not acceptable. Mr Assad won another seven-year term in 2014 with an improbable 88.7 per cent — the vote was not held in large parts of the country and was boycotted by opposition groups.

And top rebel Haitham al-Maleh, of the Western-backed Syrian National Coalition, refused any compromise over Mr Assad.

“We will not accept that the regime stays even for 24 hours,” he said by phone from Egypt.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that it was for the Syrian people to decide what role Mr Assad would play.

She said that the main topic at weekend talks in Vienna would be to draw up a list of rebels to be invited to negotiations and terrorists such as Isis who should be excluded.