BEIRUT: The Syrian opposition blamed those responsible for the “bombardment and starvation of civilians” for obstructing the start of peace talks the United Nations aims to convene on Friday.

The opposition High Negotiation Committee has written to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asking the Security Council to implement a resolution that outlined steps including a halt to bombardment of civilian areas and the lifting of blockades on besieged areas.

“We are serious about taking part (in negotiations), and to start the negotiations, but what is hindering the start of negotiations is the one who is bombing civilians and starving them,” the statement issued by a spokesman for the HNC said.

An opposition figure said indirect peace talks are unlikely to begin on Friday for “technical reasons,” adding that his group has named a second opposition list to be part of the talks.

One of the major stumbling blocks ahead of peace talks scheduled to begin in Geneva Friday has been determining which groups from Syria’s opposition will be allowed a seat at the negotiating table.

Haitham Manna, co-president of the Arab and Kurdish group known as the Syrian Democratic Council, told The Associated Press in the Swiss city of Lausanne that his group and their allies have named their own list of opposition participants, separate from the list named in Saudi Arabia, a move that is likely to anger the opposition.

“We finished our list and we have what we can call the Democratic Secular Syrian list,” Manna said without elaborating what groups it includes and whether the main Kurdish faction in Syria, the Democratic Union Party or PYD, is part of it. Turkey is strongly opposed to the PYD participating in the talks. He said the list includes 15 “essential” members and 15 others as supporting team.

Manna had said earlier he would boycott the talks if the PYD is not taking part. Asked Thursday whether the talks would kick off Friday, as envisioned by the UN Syria envoy, Manna said: “I don’t think so, for technical reasons now it’s impossible.” He did not elaborate.