Experts warn Damascus’ election process threatens national unity

The process of appointing members to the transitional government’s “Parliament” began yesterday amid unilateral legal amendments, a constitutional vacuum, and the exclusion of key political forces. 

This process occurred without UN oversight or broad participation from all societal components, prompting continued criticism from various Syrian circles regarding the transitional government’s insistence on holding these so-called “elections.”

Many Syrian observers argue that the process disregards legal, human rights, and social standards and is conducted in an authoritarian atmosphere that favors individuals loyal to the transitional government.

Process Falls Short of Genuine Elections

Shukri Sheikhani, head of the Syrian Reformist Current, told ANHA Agency that “the current elections in Syria, particularly in areas under the control of the transitional government, are incomplete and inadequate.

 They do not represent all components of the Syrian people, and three key Syrian provinces have been excluded from the elections. This structural flaw will lead to negative outcomes for Syrian society, as the process does not reflect the broader will of the population.”

He added, “Humanitarian, rights-based, constitutional, social, and political standards should have been considered in this electoral process, especially after the March 10 agreement between the transitional government and General Mazloum Abdi. An independent body, genuinely separate from the executive authority, should have been established to oversee the elections, with fully neutral judicial supervision.”

Sheikhani emphasized, “This process does not qualify as elections in the proper sense. What does it mean for a council of 210 members when 70 are appointed directly by the head of the transitional government, and the remaining 140 are selected by an electoral body also appointed by the government head? Clearly, this so-called electoral process constitutes an open and blatant circumvention of democracy.”

Kadàr Biri, director of the Kurd Border Center, highlighted the exaggeration surrounding the so-called elections, stating: “What kind of elections are these when one-third are appointed by the transitional phase president and the remaining two-thirds are chosen by a committee previously appointed by the same president? In the past, Syria had formal elections with a certain margin of choice, but today there is no margin at all—100% will be controlled by the president and his demands.”

He added: “If there were to be real elections, there should first be a genuine reconciliation to allow such elections to take place. Nearly half of Syria’s territory is outside Damascus’ control, and the half under its authority suffers from lawlessness, chaos, identity-based killings, as well as theft, looting, and internal clashes among unregulated groups now affiliated with the Syrian government.”

He further explained: “What kind of elections are these when more than half of the regions are outside government control? They are only seeking media propaganda to show that we are continuing to build a nation. But what nation is this? Are we accepting the division of Syria, or that the East of the Euphrates or the South is not Syrian? It seems that this is precisely what they are aiming for.”

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ANHA