In Syria, there is intense debate regarding the postponement of elections in three provinces, originally scheduled for next month to elect a new People’s Council. Authorities have justified this delay by citing the unsuitable security conditions for conducting the elections.
The head of the legal committee for the People’s Council elections, Ahmad Qunout, responded to recent statements from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, emphasizing that “the Autonomous Administration has no authority to decide whether the People’s Council elections are legitimate.”
A statement from the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria argued that these elections lack democracy and do not reflect the will of the Syrian people in any way.
They dismissed security concerns as a valid reason for excluding these provinces, asserting that they are relatively safe compared to other areas.
The statement referred to the September elections as merely a “formal step,” insisting that holding them now would result in the exclusion of nearly half of the Syrian population.
Simultaneously, political, human rights, media, and tribal leaders from Raqqa province have urged the election committee to revoke its decision to exclude Raqqa. In their statement, Raqqa leaders described the decision as an infringement on the right to representation in sovereign decision-making, undermining the legitimacy of the People’s Council as a representative of all Syrians and violating legislative decrees.
The Supreme Election Committee had previously announced that the upcoming elections, which are the first under the new administration, would not include the province of Suweida in the south, and the northeastern provinces of Hassakeh and Raqqa, which are largely controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, until a “safe environment” is established.
Nawar Najmah, a member of the Supreme Election Committee and its spokesperson, stated to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that “in order to ensure fair representation for the provinces of Suweida, Hassakeh, and Raqqa, and in light of the security challenges in these areas, the committee decided to postpone the electoral process in the mentioned provinces until suitable conditions and a safe environment for conducting the elections are provided.”
Meanwhile, the Syrian news channel “Al-Ikhbariya” reported that Israeli forces had penetrated the towns of Breqa and Bir Ajam in the southern Quneitra countryside with a military patrol consisting of an armored vehicle and two four-wheel drive trucks loaded with soldiers, amid ongoing movements in the region.