Kongra Star rejects “People’s Council” elections as illegitimate

In a written statement, Kongra Star condemned the planned “People’s Council” elections scheduled for September, highlighting the deliberate marginalization of key regions including North and East Syria and Sweida.

The statement reads:

“The experience of recent years in Syria has unequivocally demonstrated that the absence of women and the exclusion of people from political decision-making are the fundamental reasons behind ongoing authoritarianism and societal fragmentation. Thus, any attempt to reproduce the same patriarchal and unilateral mentality whether through elections or other means will only deepen the crisis.

Women in North and East Syria, through their resistance to terrorism and their pioneering of a model of autonomous administration, have proven that genuine democracy begins with full female participation, and that societal stability and prosperity are intrinsically linked to the liberation and free will of women.

Based on this truth, we affirm that any political or electoral process in Syria can only claim legitimacy insofar as it reflects the will of free women and free peoples, and guarantees the rights of all components and political forces that constitute the authentic fabric of Syrian society. Women who have historically been the driving force against authoritarianism and terrorism today represent the essential benchmark of legitimacy in any democratic project. Similarly, the inclusion and safeguarding of the national, cultural, and political rights of all components is indispensable to achieving a just and sustainable solution.

The so-called People’s Council elections, with the exclusion of Hasakah, Raqqa, and Sweida, do not express the will of Syrians. Rather, they epitomize the continuation of a repressive approach that has denied popular freedoms for over fifty years. Labeling these regions as ‘unsafe’ is a transparent pretext to exclude millions, foremost among them women who have led a unique autonomous administration experience demonstrating that genuine democracy begins with full female participation alongside recognition of the rights of all peoples to govern their own affairs and destinies.

The imposed 20% quota for women represents nothing more than a patriarchal tokenism that reduces women to political decoration. At Kongra Star, we affirm that this quota not only constitutes an injustice to women but is a direct negation of the elections’ legitimacy. Any political process that excludes or marginalizes half the society cannot be democratic or legitimate. Today, legitimacy requires women’s participation at no less than full parity (50%), along with fair representation of all components and political forces on the basis of equality and mutual recognition. Any initiative ignoring this truth is doomed to fail.

Rooted in the philosophy of “Women – Life – Freedom,” Kongra Star rejects these superficial elections as a step towards reproducing authoritarianism. We refuse to be party to such exclusionary policies and will not recognize any outcomes emanating from them.

We call upon women across Syria, the region, and the world, alongside all democratic forces, to intensify their struggle against these practices that seek to silence women’s voices and undermine the will of people. We also urge concerted efforts toward a comprehensive political solution that places women at its core and guarantees the rights of women and all components and political forces, as they are the foundational force for peace and democracy. Syria can only be rebuilt on the basis of women’s freedom, popular participation, and shared justice.”

ANHA