Call to adopt Autonomous Administration Model for democratic Syria

Amid the profound transformations Syria is undergoing following the fall of the Ba'athist regime on December 8, 2024, the experience of Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria stands out as a political and administrative model that proposes fundamental solutions to the longstanding crisis of centralized governance that has burdened Syrians for decades.

Syrian observers concur that the model of Autonomous Administration adopted in the North and East of Syria has achieved tangible results on the ground by fostering societal and administrative stability, making it a serious and viable option for Syria's future.

Azad Barazi, the member of the Central Committee of the Kurdish Democratic Party in Syria, stated to ANHA Agency that Autonomous Administration has served as a practical response to the diversity and pluralism that had been suppressed under the previous regime.

He added, "Syria is a country of multiple ethnicities and sects, and cannot be governed through excessive centralization. The model has provided space for each community to express its identity and participate in decision-making through the right to education in the mother tongue and engagement in political institutions."

The experience of North and East Syria demonstrates that transcending extreme centralization was not merely a political choice but a social necessity to preserve the cohesion of Syrian society, particularly in light of the sectarian and ethnic divisions exacerbated by years of conflict.

Barazi further noted that the fall of the previous regime exposed significant challenges and tragedies, especially in areas that suffered from security vacuums and administrative chaos, whereas the experience of Autonomous Administration proved to be a genuine guarantor of the rights of all Syrians without discrimination.

For his part, Anwar Al-Asar, the Co-President of the Union of Lawyers in North and East Syria, emphasized that what distinguishes the administration is its genuine implementation of decentralization. He stated, "Autonomous Administration is closer to the citizen, granting them a real role in decision-making through communes and popular councils, unlike the previous regime which practiced centralized rule under the false pretense of superficial decentralization."

Al-Asar added, "Over the past seven years, stable services and living conditions have been secured through the direct participation of the people themselves in decision-making, making this experience a model to be emulated across Syria."

An analysis of the trajectory of Autonomous Administration reveals that empowering communities to make decisions has led to the construction of a cohesive service and administrative structure — a feature lacking in other parts of Syria, whether under regime control or under Turkish occupation mercenaries mired in factional conflicts and power struggles.

Khaled Barkal, the member of the Confederation of Democratic Society Organizations in Raqqa, focused on the societal and participatory dimensions of Autonomous Administration, highlighting the qualitative transformation in the participation of women and youth.

He stated, "We are committed to involving all segments of society and amplifying the voice of collective will, contrary to previous regimes that marginalized and excluded," explaining that the culture of participation is the cornerstone of the Autonomous Administration system.

Barkal stressed that the model should not be viewed merely as a local solution but as a national model applicable across all Syrian geography, particularly in light of the urgent need for a democratic political system that respects diversity and dismantles traditional centralized rule. 

The central role of society in building the institutions of Autonomous Administration was manifested through the communes and people's councils, where all social groups participated in discussing and contributing freely to the Social Contract, reflecting a unique state of transparency and participation.

The preamble to the Social Contract clearly affirms that the people are the fundamental source of authority and that society is the true decision-maker — a principle that represents a definitive break from the long era of authoritarianism that Syria had endured.

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ANHA