NEWS CENTRE - The Autonomous Administration pointed out that the Transitional Government's announcement that elections will not be held in North and East Syria due to "security" claims is an attempt to legitimise the politics of denial and called on international institutions and the UN not to recognise the elections.

 

The Autonomous Administration made a written statement regarding the "parliamentary elections" planned to be held in September by the Syrian Transitional Government and the statement that "elections will not be held in Siweyda, Hesekê and Reqa due to security reasons". 

 

The statement defined the elections to be held as "a formality that is far from being democratic and excludes the will of the people" and evaluated the steps taken by the Damascus government after the fall of the Assad regime (National Dialogue Conference, establishment of the interim government, declaration of the constitution and announcement of elections) as attempts that frustrate the aims of the Syrian revolution.

 

The statement included following: “All the steps taken since the fall of the Assad regime until today—the National Dialogue Conference, the formation of the Interim Government, the declaration of the constitution, and now the announcement of parliamentary elections in Syria—have contradicted the goals of the Syrian revolution, which called for justice, democracy, equality, and freedom for all components of Syria. Syrians have made sacrifices for true citizenship rights, foremost among them the right to free and fair candidacy and elections.

 

Yet, we see history repeating itself, as this right is once again stripped away from all Syrians. These elections are neither democratic nor reflective of the will of the Syrian people in any form, but rather a continuation of the marginalization and exclusion that Syrians have suffered for the past 62 years under Ba’ath rule.

 

The conduct of what is called “elections” at this time excludes nearly half of the Syrian people from the process—whether through forced displacement or through systematic policies that prevent the participation of communities and active forces in shaping the country’s future. This very exclusion is clear evidence that what is being presented as elections is nothing more than a formal step that does not meet the requirements of a comprehensive political solution needed by Syrians.

 

We would also like to stress that labeling our regions as “unsafe” to justify the denial of the rights of more than five million Syrians is baseless. Compared to other parts of Syria, the regions of North and East Syria are the safest.

 

As an inseparable part of Syria and its people, we reject any measures or decisions imposed with a unilateral mindset that disregards the sacrifices and legitimate rights of all components. Any decision taken in such an exclusionary approach will neither concern us nor be considered binding on the peoples and regions of North and East Syria. We call on the international community and the United Nations not to recognize these elections, which are in direct contradiction to Resolution 2254.

 

Finally, we reaffirm that the solution in Syria will not come through reproducing the same old policies, but rather through a comprehensive political process in which all Syrians, with their diverse components and free will, participate—leading to a democratic, pluralistic, and decentralized Syria that guarantees rights and opens horizons for peace and stability.”