Riad Darrar, commenting on al-Assad's statements; Decentralization requires deep measures

Riad Darrar stressed that decentralization requires deep procedures in representing the people of the regions themselves and choosing their representatives, and the center will have specific sovereign ministries that confirm and achieve the unity of the country. He said, "We will follow up on how the powers will be distributed after the statement made by Bashar al-Assad."

16 August, 2021 07:49

NEWS DESK, AKRAM BARAKAT

President Bashar Al-Assad of Damascus Government, during his meeting with the new government on 14^th August, stated that there was now an opportunity to move from centralization to decentralization: "The opportunity is now right for this step; Because local councils are best placed to know their local interests and put forward solutions, and that helps the central authority and the central official to stay out of detail and move towards strategic thinking, monitoring and planning. At the same time; Decentralization brings balanced development between the richest and poorest regions and between the countryside and the city. "

Co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council, Riad Darrar, explained to ANHA that Bashar al - Assad's talk about decentralization achieving balanced development was true: "The issue in Syria is not an economic one. It is the need of a society. It is not a decision of the President. It is an exercise of democracy that prevents the centralization of daily life and political convictions.

Riad Darrar stressed that decentralization requires profound action in representing the people of the regions themselves and selecting their representatives, the Centre has specific sovereign ministries that affirm and achieve the unity of the country: "Service ministries are the responsibility of the regions, and part of their activities."

Riad Darrar indicated that they would follow up on how powers would be distributed after Bashar al - Assad's statement: "It's not important the name of our administration; If it is called a local administration or a autonomous administration, it is important that the local councils take their extent and are not controlled by a governor, and are not subject to the Ministry of Local Administration, as was the case after the Local Administration Ordinance No. 107; because the Governor and the Minister imposed central government in any case. "

Darrar pointed out, when the local council is made up of the people of the region, and its president is elected from the region itself, the people of the region can hold that president and the council to account through the concept of direct democracy, direct accountability: "This must be subject to the competition of political forces in that region, so that the administration is diverse and not under the authority of one party or group, and must be applied in all Syrian regions."

Riad Darrar mentioned the objectives of Decree 107: "The objectives of the decree are correct. We take the concept of democratic decentralization into account. We now apply it within AANES, where he says that the goal is the decentralization of powers and responsibilities and their concentration in the hands of groups of the people in application of the principle of democracy that makes the people the source of all authority, through the expansion and clear and non-dual definition of the powers and authorities of the councils of administrative units; To enable it to perform its functions and tasks in developing the administrative unit economically, socially, culturally and urbanely.

Riad Darrar noted that the implementation of the first objective of Decree 107 requires the creation of administrative units capable of planning and implementing processes, developing community development plans and implementing their own projects efficiently and effectively, he said: "This is true, but when applied, it goes into the wind, because those who supervise of the decentralization do not want to implement decentralization only the name and slogans."

T/S

ANHA