Arab Writers Union (Syria – Damascus) rejects formation of a new committee

The Arab Writers Union (Syria - Damascus) issued a statement to the public today, expressing its firm rejection of the recent formation of a new committee to replace the elected committee without adhering to the fundamental electoral rules. The statement read:

The Arab Writers Union (Syria - Damascus), a prestigious national cultural institution established in 1969 on the principles of independence, transparency, and institutional work, firmly believes that the democratic rotation of positions and roles is the only way to ensure legitimacy and true representation of the collective will of its members.

Based on these principles, we, the members of the union, express our firm rejection of the recent formation of a new committee to replace the elected committee without adhering to the fundamental electoral rules, without any legitimate basis or legal mandate from the general assembly. We see this action as a serious violation of the essence of union and cultural work and a blatant disregard for our institutional norms.

What happened does not represent us and does not reflect our will; rather, we see it as a dangerous precedent that threatens the independence of the union and undermines the trust of its members in it.

It is also considered a violation of the rights and democratic mechanisms upon which this institution was founded, and a deviation from the approach we have long struggled to establish.

As we record this position with utmost clarity and responsibility, we affirm our commitment to our legitimate right to express ourselves, and we call for a return to institutional legitimacy and respect for the will of the writers who have formed a free voice against exclusion and marginalization over the decades.

T/S

ANHA