Dispute over understandings regarding appointment of Emergency Directorate in al-Hasakah

The Media Directorate of al-Hasakah Governorate published a statement attributed to what it described as “Abdul Halim al-Shahab, Director of the Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate in al-Hasakah.”

According to sources, the Autonomous Administration had previously submitted a proposal to appoint a local administration for the Emergency Directorate in al-Hasakah, in line with its vision regarding local governance in North and East Syria and the principle that institutions should be managed by local components and communities.

The same sources stated that Raed al-Saleh, the Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management in the Interim Government, had previously agreed during meetings with the Autonomous Administration on the candidate proposed by the latter. However, the ministry later moved to appoint a director unilaterally.

These developments suggest that the ministry has stepped back from previous understandings and has not adhered to their substance.

According to various interpretations, there are differing views regarding the provisions of the understandings previously discussed between the two sides. These understandings concerned the organization of joint work and the possible integration of certain service institutions in North and East Syria. The absence of clearly published and legally binding implementation mechanisms has left room for differing interpretations regarding authority and appointment procedures.

Legal and administrative analyses indicate that Syria’s local administration system generally places service directorates under the authority of their respective ministries within the central government, while governors play a coordinating and supervisory role. This makes appointment procedures within such directorates a matter of dispute when there is no comprehensive political and administrative agreement among the relevant parties.

Observers also believe that this issue reflects an ongoing divergence between two principal approaches to governance: one based on centralized administrative decision-making, and the other advocating broader administrative decentralization. This divergence has led to conflicting interpretations of laws and agreements related to the management of public institutions in these regions.

No official clarification has yet been issued by the concerned parties regarding the final mechanism for appointing the Emergency Directorate in Al-Hasakah, while disagreements continue over the interpretation of previous commitments and understandings.

ANHA